


Mark of a hero

by SonnieCelanna



Series: Marked [1]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BAMF Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Class 1-A are a family, Cute, Dark Vision, Deku gets a wingsuit, Deku gets the Mark Of The Outsider, Demons, Doesn't deviate from cannon much until USJ, Domino - Freeform, Far Reach, I want a poly relationship with Jirou and Mina don't @ me, Kacchan is gonna be so pissed, Midoriya cleans up the outsiders mess, Midoriya kills monsters/demons, Molecular Control, Monsters, OP!Deku, Overpowered Midoriya Izuku, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shadow Walk, The Abbey Of The Every Man wants to kill Deku, The outsider fucked up, Worried Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), You can't change my mind, also adds new ones, follows normal story arcs, minor horror, oops he has a stonger mark than normal cause circumstances, polyamrous relationship, potentially other depending on reader reception, semblance, still gets one for all, this is the purest form of silly fanfiction, thos who know the manga know just how insane this could really be, yes ive just learned about custom tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2019-11-13 02:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 137,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18022979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonnieCelanna/pseuds/SonnieCelanna
Summary: The first time he met the black eyed-man, it had nothing to do with his abilities or lack thereof. It had nothing to do with the boy’s emotions or fears. It was mere coincidence he came during a moment when his life was in danger.The black-eyed man only came to him for one reason."Izuku Midoriya, aren't you quite the interesting puzzle piece of history? I have an offer for you. ………………..You’ve always wanted powers since that day? I can give them to you. I…. am the Outsider and this…………………….This is my mark.”Dishonored x My Hero AcademiaOP!Deku Marked!Deku





	1. Prologue: The black-eyed man

 

The first time he met the black eyed-man, it had nothing to do with his abilities or lack thereof. It had nothing to do with the boy’s emotions or fears. It was mere coincidence he came during a moment when his life was in danger.

 

The black-eyed man only came to him for one reason.

 

"Izuku Midoriya, aren't you quite the interesting puzzle piece of history? I have an offer for you. ………………..You’ve always wanted powers since that day? I can give them to you. I…. am the Outsider and this…………………….This is my mark.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Midoriya had concluded one thing as fact about this day as he struggled against the green slime of a villain taking over his body, it was probably the second worst day of his life. Oh sure he was dying but he was worthless quirkless nerd, who would care if he went missing? Still it hurt bad, being choked out like this.

 

The villain was saying something but the greenette was too focused on not dying to really take in his words.

 

‘Can’t breath!’ My body……getting…..weak…..’

 

The slime suddenly increased in its quantity and Midoriya thought for sure he was about to choke to death.

 

‘Somebody…..help……’

 

 

The world went black.

 

 ~~~~

 

“ **Hm, it’s truly amazing what just the tiny minute differences of an area in a moment of time can do to a whole timeline.** ”

 

Midoriya blinked in shock. His throat was no longer clogged and he could move freely. He still felt tired from the sudden altercation and fell backwards onto the ground. He shivered as he felt what could only be described as an endless cold.  Then his brain finally registered the voice he just heard.

 

“What the……W-who’s there?!” He shouted out confused. “Am i……”

 

“ **Dead? A valid question I suppose and in fact one that does not have a set in stone answer. Whether you live or die now, that’s your choice.”** The voice was….haunting yet alluring. It was masculine but young and yet so old at the same time. Midoriya blinked as he tried to decipher what the heck his statement meant. However when his eyes opened again…..

 

The greenette’s jaw dropped. He could feel the stone of the tunnel he had been in previously beneath his feet but it felt….different and sure enough it was. The roof above was no longer there, it almost looked as if it had exploded outwards but was frozen in time as its chunks where still visible in the air.

 

What truly grabbed his attention though, and confirmed for sure this was not the same place he had been before. What should have been the bright blue sky and bustling commuters of Musutafu instead was an empty swirling void of nothing. Some floating grey rocks where visible in the distance as the only features in this empty place.

 

A swirl of black shards and shadows appeared in front of him where the slime villain would once be. Immediately the boy was on guard, not that he would be any match for most normal people, let alone a villain with what appeared to be a teleportation quirk.

 

From the shards emerged tall dark-haired man with a rough face. He wore an outfit not to different from the one Midoriya himself was in, a standard male uniform for japanese middle schools. the only differences being the materials they were made of and the fact that the size of the collar on the dark man was quite a bit higher.

 

None of that truly caught the smaller quirkless boy’s attention like the most defining feature of the mysterious man did. His eyes. An endless inky darkness from which it seemed one could see reflected all that ever had been and all that ever could be. The forest haired teen was in the habit of committing all he could about those he met to memory to analyze but even had he not developed that habit he doubted he could forget the entity before him.

 

 **“Izuku Midoriya.”** It was the voice from before that left the man’s mouth. **“Man? Hmph, maybe once I was but not anymore.”**

 

”Wait you can hear my thoughts?!” The boy exclaimed in surprise and his eyes widened. Losing himself to his own wonder he ran to the man and started properly taking in the form, causing said man to actually step back a bit. “Is that your quirk?! But I would of thought It had to do with the way you teleported just now? Is that something else?! I’ve never seen any kind of quirk with such an odd combination of attributes and—“

 

The boy never finished his rant as a pair of black, almost smoke like tendrils clamped over his mouth, it wasn’t like the violent way the slime villain had attacked him though. In a way, this was oddly pleasant, calming. **“Hm. Contary to the belief of some long forgotten men, I am not a malevolent force. I have no desire to harm you, of course I would not replicate that oversized slime’s methods. Admittedly, I should have foreseen your incessant ramblings being a sticking point if I allowed you speech. However, as none in this world remember me I suppose I can share with you more knowledge than I normally would to those who capture my interest.”**

**“I am…..not your average person as you can already tell. I walk between the fissures of reality where the laws of physics are devised by mad men. I’ve seen world’s freeze and creations burn. I was here long before existence began and will be long after it runs out. And yet, I will never have existed either.”**

Confusion. That was undoubtedly Midoriya’s most prominent feeling right now.

 

**“Hmph. Mortal minds. Annoyingly frail and incapable of higher understanding. How I long for that ignorance. You asked what my quirk is? Is that what you call the varied abilities this era of humans possess?”**

The smaller boy nodded, as it was all he was capable of doing. Who was this guy and how did he not know what quirks where.

 

**“Quirks….what a curious decision. Even without my humanity fully intact I admit I do enjoy how simply….human such a name for these abilities are. Tell me Izuku, are you in anyway religious. Any belief in some god? The tendrils will let go now, please, refrain from wasting time.”**

As the man….no, entity before him stared him down waiting for his answer, Midoriya mulled it over in his mind. Normally he would say he had no belief in a god or a lack of one but with the way this conversation was panning out, with how the taller person before him spoke and acted, not to mention the undeniable powers he had.

 

Midoriya was many things, unobservant was rarely one of them, he could see where this was going **.** He looked up to the taller of the two he seemed to have a habit of pacing around and occasionally teleporting back beside the greenette. “You’re saying…….you’re a god!?”

 

**“Thankfully you are quick on the uptake. I am The Outsider and this place is my home, the void. Of course, you’re probably wondering why I have no worshippers if I am a god. I am not someone who likes to be involved normally. I do not delude myself to think that I am entirely unbiased as my humanity still remains but I do have duties to fulfil. Letting you all worship others lets me stay away until my intervention is necessary or in some cases, much like this, a soul calls out to me in a way I simply can’t ignore.”**

Midoriya stared out into the distance as he experienced a violent and sudden paradigm shift. There was a god? He was uninvolved regularly? He knew he probably shouldn’t believe it so easily but it wasn’t like he hadn’t already seen a fair bit of evidence already.

 

One burning question entered Izuku’s mind.

 

 **“And that question is?”** Now the smaller boy had had a chance to truly calm down he noticed the constant almost bored, sardonic tone of voice the apparent god used.

 

“M-make it two. Could you p-please stop listening to my thoughts, its……” The boy couldn’t find the words but ‘The Outsider’ seemed to understand what was unsaid.

 

**“Done.”**

 

“So. If you’re uninvolved, why come to me? What about me could be necessary?” The boy asked confused. His confusion only grew when an actual scowl crossed the god’s face.

 

 **“There is no necessity to my contacting you.”** He told the quirkless boy.

 

“Then why?”

 

**“Sometimes my lack of involvement leaves me frustrated. I do not meddle much because it’s not my place to do so. A strict set of rules I imposed on myself long ago. You believe you would only be contacted by necessity. I assume that is to do with those classmates I saw earlier?”**

Midoriya was sure he misheard the slight change in tone the Outsider. It sounded oddly protective. But that was ludicrous, surely? Sure, earlier that day, he had been quite badly treated by his classmates he supposed.

 

_He just wanted to be a hero, was it so wrong that he wanted to try for the hero school of his dreams, even if he wasn't as strong as his classmates?! Apparently it was, according to their mocking laughs._

 

A blonde haired teen with a nasty scowl crossed his mind

 

_'DEFENCLESS IZUKU!' This school already sucks, you really want to embarrass it more by failing so hard?!'_

 

_'If you want a quirk there might actually be a way, take a swan dive off the roof of the building and pray you get one in your next life!'_

 

Still he had asked a question. “Well, im just a powerless nerd. They’ve made sure I know that. Regardless, I want to be a hero but even I know how pathetic I-“

 

**“Stop. I must admit that you feel this way frustrates me. I am not one normally to care about mortal affairs as I’m sure is quite clear but I have my past same as anyone and bullies are something I simply can’t stand. That’s all they are Midoriya. Their words are not worth heeding, especially that blonde excuse for a human. There is no such thing as being worthless. If you were worthless you would not exist.”**

Midoriya almost doubled over in shock from the statement. He had never been old otherwise about being worthless before. His mother certainly hadn’t encouraged those thoughts but sometimes he felt like she believed them deep down. So for not just anyone, but an actual god to tell him otherwise…..he could feel the tears welling up, he always was a crybaby. This was a dream right? some weird dream, he'd passed out in the villains grasp and his mind was just sending him happy thoughts.

 

 **“I would appreciate it if you didn’t soak the floor of my home.”** It didn’t take much for the 'god' to go back to his uninterested tone apparently. **“I’ve wasted far more time on this encounter than I normal do. Then again that’s exactly why I’m here. You are an anomaly, Izuku Midoriya, your future is undecided. You can be anything depending on your choices. Despite this world having so many little quirks to it, you were born without any powers at all, correct?”**

“Yes sir. It was…..not my happiest day.” Midoriya said, looking out into the distance of the grey landscape. Such an odd place, he mused.

 

**“No, i’m quite aware of your despair over that diagnosis. In fact, I’d imagine that if you had the ability to change that, you’d like to take it. How fortunate then that I am a god who could grant you said powers then, eh?”**

Midoriya’s head whipped around to the taller entity so fast that it almost made him worry he had snapped his neck for a moment. The god had an amused grin on his face, it didn’t really suit him. Midoriya might have nightmares for weeks about that face but it was nice in a way.

 

“You don’t mean…….?”

 

 **“Oh I do. There’s a catch but not as major as you might think. Your hand will be marked by a symbol of a dead language, my name. It’s been so long since I could read it and for all my power, I am still restricted to be unable to read it. It can be irritable in unpredictable ways. It might hurt or itch. It varies. A slight discomfort and marking is the price for an indeterminate amount of powers. I simply can’t tell you what they may be, they vary from person to person. Though I suspect you will inherit ones from those already marked and perhaps, more than any before. Think carefully about this, you do have a choice. Once it’s made you cannot go back.”** The outsider then remembered to add on. **“Oh, and it’s worth noting, when I release you from the void you will be back in that slimy monstrosities grasp. Without the mark perhaps you can still cling to life just long enough for help to arrive. The mark can guarantee that survival, as I will allow it to boost your natural vitality, respiration. Standard enhancements. Normal I would leave it to you to obtain these powers but considering the circumstance, I’m willing to make an exception.”**

The boy spent a fair amount of time considering it. For his part, the Outsider didn’t rush him, respecting the difficult of the choice, even if the answer would seem obvious first glance. “Are they the only ones for certain?”

 

**“The only catches for the powers? Yes. Well at least the only ones that are dictated by the mark, there may be others but that all depends on how you use it.”**

“Then I accept.” Midoriya said with what for him was an unnatural amount of conviction in his voice. “I’ll take your mark, Mister Outsider.”

 

The god laughed. Somehow it was both creepy and alluring at the same time. Certainly another thing about this place he wouldn’t be forgetting soon. **“Millennia since I began this life and never once in all that time. Mister Outsider, thanks for the laugh. It’s a rarity for me. Now-“**

In an instance, he was right in front of Midoriya, black eyes meet green.

 

**“This is my mark.”**

The young boy felt himself cringe as his left hand suddenly flared with pain, he lifted it to see the mark forming on his back hand. Burning itself from the inside into existence. He hissed from the pain but it finished in an instance. It was an odd symbol to be sure but in a way it brought comfort to the boy when he looked at it. It rotated around itself and had many spike on it as well as a few circles, it certainly looked like some ancient symbol. It almost looked alien.

 

**“Now, it’s time for you to return to the real world. It will be a while before your powers manifest. That is different from those before you but I need some time to prepare. This world is different, it operates on different rules as a result.”**

Midoriya started to feel an odd pressure in his head. What was happening?

 

**“Oh. I do apologize for this next part. But It will be more interesting and perhaps also more in your interest if you do not remember this encounter for a while. You’ll remember when the time is right. I will let you remember this excuse at least for those who pry into the mark. Simply a tattoo artist with a quirk designed for it, managed to accidentally mar you instead. I’ll let you figure out the specifics of that excuse if you use it.”**

 

Finally the greenette passed out once again.

 


	2. The Mark And One for All

Midoriya stared out across the expanse of the beach he had finally cleared earlier that week, waiting for All Might. It had been ten months since he had met the #1 Hero and thinking about the fact that his childhood idol was now his mentor never failed to make the boy feel a little giddy. It subsided quickly though when he looked down and saw out the corner of the vision the mysterious mark.

 

He lifted his left arm and looked at the back of his hand. Upon it was an odd rune like marking, akin to that of a tattoo. He had no idea where it had come from, a fact that unnerved him and caused the boy to frown. Sometimes, on rare occasions, his hand was filled with a dull ache. Was it someone’s quirk at play? Or something else? Ever since it had appeared the boy couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched but oddly, it seemed reassuring in a way.

 

The boys thoughts turned back to the fateful day he had met All Might and been chosen as the hero’s successor. So many events and emotions occurred that day. All Might crushing his dreams of ever becoming a hero and then later not only rekindling them but adding more fuel to the fire than ever before.

 

And of course. There was the whole slime villain incident. That one gave Midoriya pause. He had been so sure of his own demise when the monster attacked him but……

 

~~~~

_Four year old Midoriya sat upon his computer chair, mother at his side with a smile on her face and action figure in his hand. They did this everyday around this time._

 

_His mom set a computer time, a set amount of time he could be on the computer, looking at videos or playing games._

 

_He always did the same thing everytime. Watch the debut of his idol, All Might._

 

_All Might, the number one hero in the entire world, who seemed to be strong enough to take on any threat. miles ahead of even the number two hero, no one seemed to be able to touch the level of power All Might sat at._

 

_None of that was the main reason why Midoriya looked up to him._

 

_he'd always laugh and smile, as he saved everyone. That was what Midoriya always found so inspiring._

 

_He wanted to be like his hero, he wanted to help people._

 

_He just needed a quirk to help him do it!_

 

_he'd have awesome mind powers like his mom! Or breathe fire like his dad!_

 

_Maybe they'd combine and he'd have a form of pyrokinesis!_

 

_He never developed his quirk._

 

_that's when it all went wrong._

 

_~~~~_

_The other kids thought he was a freak._

 

 _Everyone_ _had powers._

 

_It was plain weird for someone to not have one, most seemed to almost consider him inhuman._

 

_His best friend, his longest friend Bakugou, a blonde spikey haired teen he called 'Kacchan' gave him a look he couldn't understand with his piercing red eyes._

 

_The blonde developed an explosion power._

 

_He was kacchan. perfect, amazing, could fight anyone and win Kacchan_

 

_and Midoriya was dubbed 'Deku.'_

 

_Someone useless, someone worthless. Someone powerless._

 

_Kacchan never hanged with him again._

~~~~

_He started keeping notebooks on other people's quirks. Ideas for how they could be used, how they worked, how the user wielded their power._

 

_He wanted to use it to make up for his lack of a quirk,_

 

_He usually used it to barely avoid some of the torment his classmates devised_

 

_it only helped sometimes_

~~~~

_Midoriya had been saved from the sludge villain, by freaking ALL MIGHT of all people, so of course he'd been giddy, of course he couldn't contain his inner fanboy ._

 

_"DETROIT SMASH!"_

 

_The villain had been defeated, the wind pressure of the blonde's punch alone blowing the monster apart._

 

_He had latched onto the pro before he had a chance to leave, the massive hulking blonde had been insistent he 'didn't have time'_

_despite the many questions the greenette wanted to ask._

 

_Midoriya had assumed he meant time to interact with a fan._

 

_h_ _e was wrong._

 

_They landed on a rooftop._

 

_The blonde had made to leave._

 

_He had to ask, he had to know what the blonde would say._

_"Can i become a hero? I'm a normal kid without any powers..._ _Ever since i was a little kid, i've always thought saving someone with a smile on your face was the coolest thing anyone could do. The rest of the students make fun of me, call me names. I may be quirkless but....could i ever hope to be someone like you?!"_

 

_He had hoped for, expected, words of encouragement, a speech that anyone could be a hero so long as they had heart from a grandiose giant of a man._

 

_Instead All Might had keeled over, smoke leaving his body. soon he was enveloped in the smoke and then..._

 

_A skinny skeleton of a many with messy blonde hair and sunken eyes was looking at him, coughing blood._

 

_He had thought surely they couldn't be the same person._

 

_All Might assured him otherwise, while continuing to cough up blood._

 

_He expected All Might, the giant to encourage his dreams. Instead All Might, the skeleton had crushed them. He had shown him an injury the man had sustained years ago, that left him in the state he was, unable to remain in his hulking form for more than three hours, leaving him in the weak powerless body the rest of the time._

 

_"This job isn't easy. it isn't bad to dream young man, just make sure they're realistic, attainable. A hero needs to be able to rush into action, to take on threats that can be terrifying in a heartbeat. Without a power, you can't do that. Now i need to get this guy back to the station. maybe you could become an officer, they get a lot of flak because heroes catch most of the villains but its a fine profession for someone in your position._

 

_The blonde walked away with that. His thoughts consumed him, he really was as worthless, as pathetic as everyone said._

 

 _An explosion went off in_ _t_ _he distance, pulling him out of his thoughts. He would normally rush to see what heroes would show up, he would of even now._

_but All Might himself had told him to give up._

 

_What was the point?_

 

_He ended up at the scene anyways._

_~~~~_

 

_The greenette watched in horror, hands clamped firmly around his mouth as someone, apparently just a kid, struggled against the slime of the villain he had been saved from earlier. He had only escaped because of the boy clinging onto All Might when the blonde had tried to leave the greenette._

 

_All Might had exceeded his time limit so he couldn't help without consequences. None of the heroes had any powers that could combat the villains liquid body. Whoever was in the villains grasp may not be able to escape and it was his fault._

_“I'm sorry, i'm so sorry.”_

_‘DAMMIT! This is my fault’ His hands tightened on his face until it hurt. This whole damn situation was because of selfishness and now someone innocent was paying because the worthless nerd never tried to be realistic._

_“Help will arrive soon, i'm sure. Someone, a real hero, will come soon.”_

_The boy should have listened to Kacchan earlier and took him up on his suggestion.The rooftop option wouldn't of hurt anyone for too long at least, as far as he was concerned. Then no one would be getting hurt right now. He could see whoever it was struggling, finally their face came down and for the briefest moments it felt as though all of time stopped. Those scared, piercing red eyes. That sound of anguish. The blonde hair sticking out the top… The rooftop option wouldn't of hurt anyone for too long at least, as far as he was concerned._

_THE VILLAIN HAD KACHHAN!?_

_In one moment, he had gone from being in the crowd to all of a sudden being barrelling down the street. It scared him how fast he was moving, it felt almost unnatural. Was this just adrenaline?_

_The slime villain made to attack him but the boy figured out a plan quick, taking of his bag and hurling it at the villain. Notebooks and pencils fell out, blinding his attacker when they hit his eye._

_Finally, in what felt like no time at all he was scooping away at the villain. He knew it was a futile effort as he couldn’t do anything before but now…..it seemed his hands were almost repelling the slime. He almost had a hold of Bakugou._

_He was talking with Bakugou but not really registering his words, as so many memories filled his head. Old and new._

 

 _Begin_ _told he would never develop a power_

 

_Being bullied for being the only powerless person in the school_

 

_Kacchan turning against him, taking every opportunity to put him down._

 

_All Might telling him he might as well give up._

 

_Finally one part did stand out, not what Bakugou said, but what the greenette himself did._

_“Kacchan……I couldn’t just stand there and watch you die!”_

_He almost had him, he could feel the boy’s body near. Unfortunately, even when being used a hostage by a villain the blonde was not cooperative._

_“GET THE HELL OFF ME!”_

_"Just a little bit longer kid, and I’m done playing with you!”_

_The boy had barely registered The pro hero, Death Arms shout as the slimy tendril came down to him. For the second time he was sure he was about to die to the slime villain. It never came though._

_“I really am pathetic.” The boy looked up in shock to see All Might, in his muscular form, holding the tendril back. “I told you the traits that make a great champion but I see now I wasn’t living up to my own ideals!”_

 

_"All Might?"_

 

_The muscular blonde’s fist destroyed the appendage trying to hold him. “PRO’S ARE ALWAYS RISKING THEIR LIVES, THAT’S THE TRUE TEST OF A HERO!”_

_“DAMN YOU ALL MIGHT.”_

_“DEEETRROOIIIIT SMMMAASSSSHHHHH!”_

 

_The punch was even more powerful than the first time, strong enough to create a minor tornado from the wind pressure._

_~~~~_

 

“Young Midoriya!” A booming voice brought him out of his reminiscing and caused him to fall over. “Oh, sorry about that. Just you were really spacing out there.”

 

“Ah! All Might! Sorry! I hope I didn’t keep you waiting to long!?” The boy frantically rushed to apologize. The blonde cut him off with a booming laugh. He was dressed in the same outfit he had been when he’d faced the sludge villain. White shirt and green jeans.

 

“No need to worry, young man. I was just as jittery when I first did the exam, nerves can get the best of us.” The blonde assured him. “But look around, you’re all prepared. You finished the training way before I had anticipated. You’ve still been doing all the important exercises like I asked, right?”

 

The greenette nodded. “Yes sir. You told me how important it was and don’t worry, my mom’s helped keep me from overworking myself like did at first. I know it’s probably silly to say this before I even have One for All but I feel like I could take on the world already in some ways.”

 

“HAHAHA, Glad to hear it. You did good, really good. You still have quite a ways to go but you should now be a suitable vessel, enough to house the power inside your body! Now it’s time for the crowning moment.”

 

The greenette looked away, silent before turning back and quietly asking what was on his mind. A sad smile graced his lips, tears starting to form. “What did I do to be so lucky, I feel like I’m cheating.”

 

The blonde tilted his head. Were it not for the shadows covering them you could have seen the confusion in his eyes. “You did all this for me….I’m too blessed….”

 

He looked around the beach. Ten months ago, it had been more like a trash heap than a beach. People used teh current of the waves for getting away with littering, it all ended up on the beach.

 

and at All Might's instructions, he had cleared the whole beach for the last ten months.

 

All in preparation for one thing.

 

Something Midoriya never thought would come.

 

“It was your hard work that did this, not mine young Midoriya.” The blonde assured him as he plucked a strand of hair from his head. “’There’s a difference between being lucky and deserving. One’s an accident, the other a reward. Never get the two confused!”

 

The greenette looked up to see the blonde almost radiating light as if he replaced the sun itself. The loose strand of hair of hair held tight in his grasp fluttering in the wind. “Take that to heart young man! This gift, you earned it with your own valiant efforts.”

 

The greenette felt an immense joy inside. It was finally time. He held out his hands and prepared for whatever came next.

 

“EAT THIS!”

 

Ok, _that_ he hadn’t prepared for. “uh….?”

 

“To inherit my power you gotta swallow some of my DNA, that’s how it works!” The blonde nervously explained.

 

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind!?” The greenette exclaimed confused. He kicked himself mentally for how ungrateful that must have sounded after all the work his mentor put in for him.

 

“Come on there’s no time! Now hurry up or you’ll be late for the exam! Now EAT, EAT, EAAAATTTTT!”

 

“AGGGGGGHHHHHHHH”

 

 ~~~~

 

Midoriya stared at the entrance to the school he so badly wished to attend. He had swallowed the hair, which had been anything but a pleasant experience.  He didn’t really feel any different than he did before but he trusted All Might.

 

He had asked why the blonde had waited until today to give him the power if he was prepared as soon as he cleared the beach. The answer hadn’t been the most comforting.

 

“Even if you’re a more prepared vessel now, One for All will be stronger going to you than when I received it. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared, so I thought it would be best to keep you training and building your body up as long as possible before giving it you.”

 

The boy covered his mouth with his marked hand. ‘I swallowed the hair but I don’t feel any different.’

 

“Stupid Deku.” He heard a familiar growl from behind him. He turned around to see his former childhood friend stalking towards him with his usual scowl.

 

“Oh Kacchan-“

 

“Get out of my way before I set you on fire!” The greenette Definitely didn't need to be told twice. He got out of the blonde’s way immediately.

 

“Oh hey good morning, lets both just do our best out there, ok? Good luck!” The greenette sputtered out as quickly as possible while flailing like a lunatic. The blonde simply ignored him and continued walking. Just as the greenette thought he’d managed to avoid an altercation with the blonde, said boy stopped in his tracks.

 

“Oh, and keep that stupid fucking mark hidden. That Bullshit tale you came up with about it will get me in just as much trouble if anyone see’s it.” With that. The blonde took his leave. The greenette let out a sigh of relief and watched the explosion quirk wielder walk away as some other students talked about him.

 

‘Ever since that day, Kacchan’s been taking it easier on me. Guess I was just scared out of habit’ the greenette shook his head and stood proud. ‘But I’m not defenseless anymore. Yeah, I have to remember all the hard work I did.’ He could feel his legs shaking like mad. Nerves really did get the best of people, like All Might said. All Might….’Thanks to All Might, I’m actually going to be a hero!’

 

His feet collided and he felt the wind brush past his face as he tripped and fell. ‘Or I’ll just die.’

 

But he didn’t, before he could collide with the ground he stopped. He couldn’t feel his feet on the ground though?

 

“Heh, are you ok?” That was unmistakably a girl’s voice, and hand on his back? Without think he immediately started flailing in midair before realizing what he was doing and stopping. He looked to his left to see a cute  brown haired girl. She set him back on to his feet and pressed her fingers together making a sort of pyramid shape.

 

“I stopped you with my quirk. Sorry I didn’t ask first but I figured you wouldn’t mind me catching you.” The greenette just stared. “Isn’t this all like, way nerve-wracking?”

 

“Uhh, I….Uhh” Was all the greenette could get out. He could already hear Kacchan laughing at him if he learned about this.

 

“Well guess I’ll see you inside. Bye!” The girl told him with a bright smile. The greenette just stood there for a couple minutes, mentally rebooting. Finally, when his brain came back to him he shouted aloud “HOLY WOW, I TALKED TO A GIRL?!”

 

That plus the maniacal laughter scaring everyone around him…….once he calmed down and realized what he was doing, he vowed to smash himself over the head with a lamp when he got home. Maybe he’d be able to forget it then.

 

~~~~

 

As he sat in the exam hall, trying his best not to freak out about Kacchan being right beside him. He had embarrassed himself again with his muttering. He had really gotten on one tall blue-haired boys nerves. He was focusing on the test as best as possible, it was not all that hard by Midoriya’s standards but he couldn’t help his mind still drifting.

 

~~~~

 

_Midoriya wandered down the street, a sad gaze in his eyes. He had been seriously chewed out for trying to save Kacchan. He still wasn’t even entirely sure why he had moved, it was like his body had gone on auto-pilot._

_He really wanted to apologize to All Might considering the whole mess was his fault in the first place but had been unable to because of the amount of reporters. He’d have to try and send the man a message when he got home on the hero's website. he doubted it would go through._

_“DEKU!” He heard a familiar voice call out behind him. Turning around the greenette saw the blonde running down the street to him. Finally he caught up and he seemed as though he was pretty out of breathe._

_“Kacchan?” He asked confused. The blonde’s hands tightened into fists and his hair covered his eyes, creating an ominous shadow on his face as he growled out what he had come to say._

_“Listen, I’d never ask for a weakling like you to help me, don’t think you can look down on me! Huh?! Got that!? I was fine by myself! You’re just a quirkless failure who won’t even cut it as a rent-a-cop! You didn’t help me! You did nothing, don’t forget i-” The blonde was cut out of his angry rant as he looked down at the boy’s hand. “What the hell? Deku, the fuck is that?!”_

_“Huh?” That question Definitely confused him. He had something on his hand? He looked down and screamed when he saw the mark. “AGHGHH, WHAT IS THAT?!”_

_“You don’t know? What the fuck Deku?!” The blonde asked, surprise taking place instead of his usual anger for now. “YOU DIDN’T FUCKING HAVE THAT EARLIER!” The blonde composed himself (well as best he could considering who he was) and just glared. “Go to a fucking doctor or something Deku. Not my fucking problem.”_

_And with that the blonde stomped away, leaving Deku to freak out alone about the mark. What the heck was it? Where had it come from? How had he not noticed?!_

_As he studied it he found it calmed him in a weird way. He’d definitely have to go to the doctor or something with it though. He sighed, just one more thing on this nightmare of a day._

_‘He’s not wrong about me doing nothing, it’s not like I actually did anything to help today.’ The boy thought as he continued to walk, warily eyeing his hand. ‘At least I tried, guess now I should get back to giving up on my dreams and figuring this thing out.’_

_“I AM HERE!”_

 

_~~~~_

“TIME’S UP LISTENERS! Time to get ready for that practical!” Present Mic’s voice cut through his memories like a knife to butter. U.A. High schools entire teaching staff were all pro heroes, and the blonde man with massive spikey hair at the front of the room was no exception. A pro hero, teacher and radio host with a voice amplifying quirk, Present Mic was a massively popular hero.

 

The boy looked down at his paper and was relieved to see that despite his trance state he’d still managed to finish the test.

 

He signed his name at the top and brought it to the front like everyone else before heading off to the buses to start the practical exam. It wouldn’t take long for them to arrive. Until then though, the greenette slipped back into his memories once more. It was quickly becoming a way to keep himself from freaking out to much about the upcoming test.

 

After all, he had no idea how to fight giant robots or if his powers would kick in in time for him to even be able to fight the robots.

 

U.A. always did have to be grandiose. Still, it wasn't the number one hero school in japan for no reason.

 

There would be four types, the first worth 1 point, the second worth 2, the third worth 3 and a fourth one, that was more an obstacle to avoid apparently worth no points.

~~~~

 

_“All Might?! Why are you here? How did you get rid of those reporters?!” The boy asked surprised. The blonde let out a booming laugh._

_“I stand for justice! Not soundbytes, because I….I AM ALL MI-ugghh” The muscular blonde disappeared in cloud of smoke and out emerged his skinny form. The form that had been Midoriya’s third, no fourth……fifth…..one of the many shocks of his day. The skinny man coughed before wiping away the blood._

_“Young man, I wanted to thank you and also discuss your question from earlier.”_

_“huh?”_

_“If you hadn’t told me about your life, if you hadn’t run into that fight, I would have been a worthless bystander watching from the crowd. So thanks.”_

_“Oh no! It was my fault he was there to begin with. I got in the way of your hard work, I wasted your energy….and not to mention your time.” The boy said sadly. He knew if he just had learned his place like Kacchan said, none of this would have happened._

_“I’m not done. You told me you didn’t have a power, so when I saw this timid quirkless boy try to save a life it inspired me to act too. There are stories about every hero, how they became great. Most have one thing in common. Their bodies moved before they had a chance to think, almost on their own….” Midoriya felt the tears start to form in his eyes as his gaze hit the ground._

“I’m sorry Izuku, I wish things were different.”

 

_His mother’s voice carved through his mind. The boy’s hands shot to his chest as he felt as is the world was dragging him down onto the ground. It felt as if a weight was being lifted and he could finally collapse._

_“…and today, that’s what happened to you.” He couldn’t hold them back anymore, the tears started to flow freely down his face, as he collapsed to the floor._

 

_The only thing he'd ever wanted to here in his life, the only thing he had ever aimed for..._

_His mom hadn’t ever told him……in his entire life…..the words he wanted to hear……the ones he **needed** to hear….._

_The wind picked up in its intensity. So much noise but it was all cut out by one small sentence ringing louder than all else._

_“Young man…..You too can become a hero.”_

 

_This was everything he ever wanted...._

_“I deem you worthy of my power, my quirk is yours to inherit.”_

 

_Wait.....WHAT?!_

 

_“Wait, what do you mean inherit? Inherit what?”_

 

_The blonde laughed._

 

_“You should see your face right now! Don’t worry, I’m not gonna force this thing on you._ _Listen well, young man. This is your choice! Do you wanna accept my awesome power or naught?!”_

 

_The end of his dramatic question got a little muffled by the amount of blood that flew out as he asked._

 

_“W...What Is he talking about?! What is this?!”_

 

_The blonde simply continued to speak when Midoriya didn't answer_

 

_“There are a couple things you should know about my abilities. Journalists always assume my quirk is some type of super strength or invulnerability. When people ask in interviews I always make a joke and dodge the question. th_ _at’s because the world needs to believe its symbol of peace is just a natural born hero, like any of them. But I’m not. There’s nothing natural about my ability. I wasn’t born with this power. It’s a sacred torch that was passed on to me from someone else!”_

 

_Midoriya could still remember the shock and disbelief that coursed through his body hearing that_

 

_“Someone gave you this quirk?! No way.”_

 

_"Yes way! and you're next, I can give you my abilities!"_

 

_There was no way this was happening right? this had to be a dream right?! All Might, his hero, the number one hero, saying that not only can he give his power to someone else but that he wanted to give it to Midoriya?!_

 

_“Wait, hold on! This is a lot to process! Its true that there’s been a lot of debate as to what your quirk actually is, nobody has ever figured it out, it one of the words greatest mysteries. People are constantly talking about it online. But, well, the idea of passing on a quirk or_ _inheriting_ _it doesn’t make any sense to me, I’ve never heard anything like that before, powers are supposed to be unique to each individual, I mean since the first superpowers, no one has ever been able to just give another their power like a present…"_

 

_He hadn't realized he had started muttering until the blonde had pleaded for him to 'Stop nerding out.'_

 

_"You're overthinking this whole inheriting business! You’ll have to adjust your reality and accept this new truth. I can transfer my quirk to someone else. And that’s just one facet of my secret abilities. The true name of my quirk, of my power, is One for All."_

 

_"One....for....all....." He knew he probably sounded dumb saying it. The weight of the information still sinking in. This was something many pro heroes didn't know. 'He's really serious about this.'_

 

_"Yes! One person improves the power, then hands it off to another person. It continues to grow as it’s passed along. It’s this cultivated power that allows me to save those who are in need of a hero. The truth behind my strength."_

 

_“But why would you choose to give me a gift like that? What if I can’t live up to it?”_

_“I was on a long hunt for a worthy successor and then I watched you jump into action as the rest of us stood idly by. You may just be a quirkless fanboy, but you tried to save that kid! You acted like a hero!”_

_Tears started to form in Midoriya’s eyes as he stared at the man. The blonde smacked his hand against his head in amusement_

_“Seriously! You gotta stop crying so much if you want my quirk. Come on kid.”_

_The boy gripped his knees as his (presumably) future self could be heard._

_'he said so much to encourage me, he even told me the secret behind his powers…is this…..is this what i've been waiting for?'_

_The greenette wiped his eyes and stood up with a determined look on his face._

_“Ok i'll do it! Yes!”_

_~~~~_

 

The bus had finally arrived. He was here. It wouldn’t be long until the exam started. In the meantime everyone was stretching and doing exercises to prepare themselves.

 

To his surprise he actually spotted the brown haired girl from earlier. ‘Oh hey its her! I should probably thank her for earlier.’

 

Before the boy could get to close though a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder. He turned and to his not so pleasant surprise it was the blue-haired boy from earlier.

 

“She seems to be trying to prepare for the trials ahead. What are you going to do? Distract her and ruin her chances to succeed?!” He accused the greenette. The boy immediately jumped to defend himself. He could hear the other students talking about him. ‘Why do I feel like everyone’s already written me off?’

 

Finally, after that embarrassing encounter was over it was time for the exam to begin as Present Mic announced. When the boy looked back down from the post the pro was at he was surprised to find that everyone was already way ahead of him. ‘I’m already behind!’

 

“Crap.” The boy got out as he rushed after the others. “Hey wait up save some villains for me!”

 

“This is fine, I’ll catch up. No need to worry. After all, I’ve got All Might’s power in me!” The blonde’s words from earlier ran through his mind.

 

_‘You may have molded your body into a proper vessel but you did it in a hurry, be cautious. You’ve not even taken it for a test drive yet. The physical backlash of One for All can be intense. There’s no time to go into the fine details but…..take note!’_

Midoriya’s eyes scanned all around looking for any of the faux villains to try to take out. ‘ _You’ve got to prepare yourself before using this quirk, so I want you to clench your butt cheeks and yell this from the depths of your heart! Sma-‘_

Suddenly one of the faux villains came crashing through the wall and bearing down on him. “Ah, a 1 pointer!”

 

“TARGET AQUIRED.” The villains rushed at him.

 

“Woah, gotta dodge him!” He knew what he needed to do. Unfortunately, it seemed as if his body refused to get the message as he was frozen in place. ‘Why won’t my feet move?! HOLY CRAP IM GONNA DIE-’

 

The villain bearing down on him was destroyed in an instant as a bright blue laser shot through the robot.

 

“Got him~” A fancy voice called out. Midoriya looked to see one of the people from earlier, a blonde boy with specialized gear give him a wink. “Merci Beaucoup, we make a great team with you as my decoy. Although, I doubt I’ll be seeing to much of each other in the future. ADIEU!”

 

“What did he mean by that?” The greenette wondered. 'and what was with that phony accent?!'

 

“SIX MINUTES AND TWO SECONDS LEFT.” That brought the boy out of his stupor. He rushed as fast as he could. On the look out for anymore villains but they all seemed to be destroyed now.

 

“Not good, not good, not good!” As he looked around he saw the brown haired girl once again, levitating some robots into the air. ‘Her again?!’

 

“And RELEASE!” She exclaimed while touching her fingers together like before. The robots all fell from the air and exploded. She took a second to catch her breathe. “Alright, that should put me at least at twenty-eight points!”

 

’Twenty-eight?!’ The greenette questioned. How had she gotten so many already?! Suddenly an explosion came from the boys side and he looked to see the blue-haired boy destroying another robot with a kick.

 

“That puts me at forty-five!” ‘How’d he get so many!?!

 

All around people started listing there scores, all amazingly high. All much better than Midoriya’s zero. ‘At this rate, there won’t be any enemies left….IM GONNA FAIL!’

 

~~~~ 

 

The greenette felt ready to cry, even if the exam wasn’t over yet. He had yet to destroy any villains and at this rate he wouldn’t score even one measly point. A part of him wished he’d even just run into a zero pointer so he could prove he could at least actually do something even if didn’t get any points for it.

 

Of course, fate was a fickle mistress and only heeded his wishes when he could suffer for it usually. A loud rumbling broke out across the field drawing the attention of all the participants. Windows shattered, building cracked and dust was kicked up everywhere. Midoriya would have used a select few words he’d learned from Kacchan if his mouth wasn’t sealed shut from fear.

 

A robot as tall as skyscraper was peering out at him and the rest, its massive treads coming towards them with no regards for their survival. Midoriya wanted to kick Present Mic despite the hero being a favorite of his. This was the zero pointer?! ‘Isn’t this a little extreme?!’

 

The gigantic villain punched the ground kicking up dirt and debris everywhere causing Midoriya to fall back. He stared wide-eyed in fear at the robot as the other ran past him without a second thought. He turned and tried to crawl away as fast as possible. ‘This is a disaster! I gotta run away and find some smaller villains. CrapCrapCrapCrap, im still at zero points!’

 

“LESS THAN TWO MINUTES REMAINING!” Present Mic’s voice boomed out across the mock city.

 

“What, two minutes?! No, No, No!” Images of all the work he and All Might did at the beach clouded his mind ‘Everything All Might did for me….all that training….it’ll be wasted!’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“OW!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midoriya froze, turning around as time seemed to slow like it did when he had tried to save Bakugou. He saw the brown-haired girl stuck on the floor. Her leg was trapped under some rubble she was unable to move and the zero pointer was bearing down on her fast. It would crush her soon. Her voice from before rang clear through the boys mind. 

 

 

_“Im sorry I didn’t ask first, but I figured you wouldn’t mind me catching you.”_

 

 

Without another thought the boy could feel himself back on his feet and running. This time though he was running right towards the danger, not that that was how his mind currently thought of it. All he could see was that he was running to help someone in need.

 

His legs braced, he felt an energy coursing through him. Two in fact. One was familiar but the other was not. He jumped up, summoning the power of One for All and…..something else. His legs lifted up as the boy jumped.

 

Once again all the participants were staring, but this time not at the zero pointer but at the boy hurtling through the air. He had kicked up just as much dirt as the zero pointer did when it hit the ground.

 

The boy was barely registering anything properly at this point. Instincts kicking in. He ignored the pains his leg suddenly had that seemed to be phasing in and out. One moment the villain had filled his entire vision. The next all he saw was blue sky. He looked down.

 

He’d overshot! He’d misjudged how much power he had and had sailed right above the villain which was still on its way to crushing the girl. What did he do now?!

 

To his surprise he got an answer.

 

**“Look at your marked hand.”**

 

The boy recognized the voice barely but had no idea who’s it was. ‘what was that?!’ He did as it said though and was surprised to see the mark glowing a brilliant blue. His hand seemed to act all of its own accord as he turned back to face the robot. Some small, semi-opaque black and purple tendrils shot out his hand and wrapped around the robots head, pulling the boy back.

 

He was confused but didn’t have time for questions. He had to save that girl! Now he had a slight bit more idea of his power he aimed for the robots head and kicked towards the robot, using the wind pressure generated by his legs and flying to the robot. He turned around mid-air, remembering the way he’d seen the blue haired boy destroy one of the smaller villains and smashed right through the robots head, coming out the other side.

 

Now that he was on the trajectory to the ground he had a path he could follow!  The panels of the robots head were falling through the air thanks to the way he had smashed through. He probably had only a few more seconds to act, the way he’d smashed through had also accelerated the rate at which the robot was going to crush girl.

 

He sent the power coursing through him one last time and kicked himself towards the falling panels, trying to jump between them. They gave him the vantage he need, as he rocketed towards the robots chest.

 

He pulled his left arm back, ready to punch the robot full force as All Might’s voice came through in his head. He felt it had to be his left arm for some reason.

 

‘ _Clench your butt cheeks kid and_ yell this from the depths of your heart!’

 

“SMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

 

He felt his fist connect with the metal for a moment and only a moment. In the next, in such a short frame of time the villain had gone flying. The greenette looked on in shock. The villain was exploding miles away in the air.

 

Finally the boy’s sense’s came back to him. ‘This is…..kind of like when I tried to save Kacchan….I moved without thinking…..now I have a quirk.’ The boy looked at his left hand. ‘And the mark……what was that……is the mark some quirk I never knew about?! Both are, real power……’

 

 

“JUST ONE MINUTE LEFT.” He heard Present Mic announce. He finally realized he was still floating high in the air and started to fall.

 

“Agghh! Ok…don’t panic! I jumped using One for All so I should be able to use it to get down too, just like All Might! Or maybe I can use those tendrils again?! Either way landing should be a piece of cake, right?!’

 

The boy tried to use his arm again but he couldn’t feel it nor his legs. ‘What the?’ he looked back on saw to his horror how everything but his right arm was flapping about. ‘I’m broken?! What happened, my legs where fine before?! That’s my marked hand as well!”

 

_‘You’ve molded your body into a proper vessel but you did it in a hurry. So be cautious, the physical backlash of One for All can be intense.’_

‘He warned me, I should’ve listened. I can barely contain this borrowed power, even after ten months of training! And this is just a hair of his quirk! I got way ahead of myself attacking that giant villain. I’m acting like a pro when I don’t even have enough skill to be a sidekick’

 

‘No!’ the boy decided ‘This isn’t over! There’s gotta be something I can do! Another Smash. It’s the only chance I’ve got to survive. My legs and my left arm are broke, so just one option! I can do this but if my timings off even a little, I’m toast! Even if I live I’ve got zero points!’ The boy lifted his arm, preparing himself. ‘and if I break my right arm too then there’s no way I’m gonna pass the exam!

 

A scream left the boys throat as he got closer and closer to the ground. Could he do it? Was it already too late?! He had to do it now!

 

Before he could though, he felt something solid slap the side of his face, throwing him to the side. He hovered in the air before he hit the ground, so close to hitting it.

 

“Urgh….Re….lease.” he heard a voice groan out before he was dropped unceremoniously onto the road. He looked up to see the girl he’d just saved on top of a bit of robot. She ended up emptying the contents of her stomach onto the road from the strain of saving him.

 

‘I’m alive…..that girl…..she stopped my fall again….’ The boy could see black splotches on the edge of his vision. ‘Sure seemed to take a lot out of her…..but at least she doesn’t look injured. That’s a relief.’

 

The boys hand slammed into the ground. Making a fist as he started to crawl along the ground. ‘and now, thanks to her…’

 

“I still have a chance to get at least one point before…..”

 

“TIMES UP!” Present Mic announced as sirens blared. Midoriya felt his heart tighten in his chest as tears started to fall. The splotches in his vision got bigger and the boy fell unconscious right there and then. Just as he did he swore he could hear the voice again from before.

 

**“You did good, even if you don’t realise it.”**


	3. All Might's Theory

All Might found himself with many questions as the exam finished up. There was no doubt that he was proud of his student, saving the girl and defeating the villain even when it cost him. He had proven again he had chosen the right person as his successor.

 

However he found himself concerned, and not because of the boys destroyed limbs. Not that he was happy about them either. As the new teacher at U.A. he was allowed to watch the exam with the other staff members.

 

When he’d seen his pupil preparing to use his quirk he was excited to see how he did but he only really saw the aftermath. Midoriya was fast, faster than he should’ve been. He had shot off faster than any of the cameras could track and these cameras could track the blonde himself at the best of times.

 

By the time the camera’s had properly focused on the villain and the boy he saw definitive proof something other than One for All had to be at play. The punch had the classic telltale signs of a Detroit smash but the force behind it, even from the boost the boy would have being the 9th user he still had generated more force than should have been possible.

 

The blonde turned and saw the principal of the school, Nezu looking at him. “He seems to be quite a surprise, even with what we know.”

 

“That was more force than anyone should be able to generate.” The blonde said quietly.  The principal’s ears could pick up on it but the other teachers could not.

“Here, All Might.” Nezu said, handing him an earpiece. “Recovery girl will be going to that center first. She’s wearing a microphone. Maybe we can get some clue what just happened. You’ll know better than I what might have happened.”

 

The blonde took the earpiece without objection as the camera’s focused on the heroine the principal mentioned. A short elderly lady with an amazing healing quirk. At least Young Midoriya would be ok. He could hear some of the students around her talking.

 

"Did you see that dudes attacks?! How does someone move like that?! I didn’t think he had that kind of power….”

 

“Me either. Looked like some reinforcement type quirk but….there was something else.”

 

“I wonder how he managed to redirect in the air when he overshot though? He was to high up to see what he did.”

 

All Might almost choked on his blood when he heard that. ‘HE OVERSHOT?!’

 

“Best guess he managed to do something with air pressure but still…that’s insane.”

 

“If he has such an amazing quirk how come he didn’t snag any points all day?”

 

“Maybe he was trying to trick all of us?”

 

“Jokes on him! There’s no way he’s passing with a zero score like that.”

 

“True….but you gotta admit, those were some freakin’ impressive moves.”

 

'just what did you do out there, young Midoriya?’ All Might had to wonder. They said moves. Plural. He had done multiple things before he broke himself? That was a relief in a way.

 

“Good job! Nice work all around! Your heroes in my eyes, every one of you!” came the voice of the lady who the microphone was attached to. All Might watched as she gave some people gummies before she wandered over to his student.

 

“That mademoiselle, she’s the heart of U.A.” One student with a French accent said.

 

“Oh my goodness, you were hurt this badly but your own quirk sonny?” The heroine asked. All Might sweat dropped as he felt a tiny bit of fear. He hadn’t told recovery girl yet like he had planned. She was going to have his hind over this. The nurse’s lips pursed up and she kissed the top of Midoriya’s head

 

“Uhh….Whats she doing?”

 

 “You’re watching a school nurse in action. The Youthful heroine, recovery girl. Her quirk is an awesome boost of healing power.” Midoriya’s body started to glow green as his limbs twisted back into place. All Might had suffered many injuries himself but it still made him cringe watching his students limbs do full 180’s back into position. “She’s the reason they can even afford to hold these reckless tests.  Look, she’s saving him months of recovery time.”

 

“Alright, he’ll be fine now. Anyone else injured?” The nurse asked, wandering off away from the blonde’s successor.

 

 

The blonde gave the earpiece back to the principal and shook his head. He couldn’t deny the fact he was worried now. With the exception of protecting the secret of One for All, Midoriya wasn’t a liar. All those months ago, when he said he was quirkless he meant it, which left the blonde with a mystery on his hands.

 

Initially he had intended to leave the greenette alone until he learned whether or not he was accepted into U.A. but now he’d have to go see the boy sooner.

 

The staff around him where discussing the students scores but he was distracted. One of his and the greenette’s first encounters played through his mind.

 

~~~~

 

_“No reluctance, that’s exactly how I thought you would answer!” The skinny blonde laughed. “Considering I’ve distracted you a lot today I can at least do you a favour and walk you home”_

_“Thank you so much sir! You don’t have to but I’d be immensely grateful.” The boy exclaimed. He sure did have a lot energy._

_“No problem, it’s the least I can do.” The blonde assured them as they started to walk. “Besides, I actually have a few questions for you I’ve been wondering.”_

_“Huh?” The boy looked up confused._

_“For one, you said you were quirkless but when that fight was going on, how fast you ran and the fact you almost got that boy out. You sure you don’t have some small hidden quirk?” The blonde asked mostly jokingly but the greenette rushed to assure he hadn’t lied about being quirkless. “Relax kid, you were being way to sincere earlier for me to think you were lying.”_

_“Thank you sir. What about your other question?” The boy asked._

_“What’s with that tattoo on the back of your hand? Isn’t it illegal for you to get any ink on until you’re at least 16?” To the blonde’s surprised, a look of worry crossed the boy’s face but no over what he expected._

_“I………I don’t know where this came from.” Answered the boy, causing the blonde to stop in his tracks. “I didn’t even know it was there until just a couple minutes before you showed up just now. I was going to go to the hospital tomorrow to see if they had any explanation. I definitely didn’t have it until after school ended today.”_

_“That’s…..odd.” Was all the blonde could think to say. A Mysterious mark that the boy only just found out about? “Well it’s probably worth noting, you’ve had it since I saved you from the sludge villain the first time at least. It was one of the first things I noticed about you…I certainly agree you should go to the doctor as soon as you get the chance.”_

_The boy nodded, looking off into the distance. “Right! I just hope it isn’t some lasting mark from that villain or something. Though Kacchan didn’t have one so that wouldn’t make much sense.”_

_“Maybe it’s a late quirk developing?” The blonde joked before he realized that it probably wasn’t in good taste. “Oh, sh-sorry young Midoriya. I should of thought before I spoke.”_

_“No, its ok All-”_

_~~~~_

 

The blonde stood up abruptly in the present day, drawing the attention if those around him. Many quirked eyebrows.

 

“Sorry.” He quickly apologized embarrassed before turning to leave the room. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Once the blonde was out the room, he went to the nearest bathroom. It was a paranoid way doing things but One for All required the strictest precautions to keep safe. Once he was in a stall he opened up his contacts and found who he was looking for.

 

‘Midoriya, my boy.’

 

      “Young Midoriya. We must talk ASAP regarding your quirk. Usual location, 7PM.”

 

 

With that done, all the blonde could do was return to the room and help his new colleagues. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be right or wrong about his new theory regarding his student.

 

~~~~ 

 

“All Might!” The blonde heard his successor calling after him. He turned to see the boy running to him. He stopped just as he arrived, almost doubling other as he caught his breathe. He had a bandage wrapped around the arm he had broken earlier. “Y-you…..needed to….talk?”

 

“Kid did you run all the way here?” The skinny man asked in surprise before remembering himself. “Oh and when im like this don’t go shouting out my name like that!”

 

“RIght, sorry!” The boy said before his gaze wandered down the ground. “and sorry about everything else. You trusted me with your power, trained me for months which would have eaten into your own free time and I made it all pointless by failing the exam so badly. You said you wanted to talk about One for All. I assume you want me to give it to someone else?”

 

All Might cursed himself, realizing what his sudden text right after the exam would have looked like to his pupil. He wasn’t allowed to reveal his pupils results so he’d have to be careful how he said this “No, no, no! Don’t think like that. I picked you before I ever knew you wanted to go to U.A! Whether you failed the exam or not, your still my student and my successor. I’d train you myself personally if it was required!”

 

The greenette looked up in shock, before the telltale signs appeared that he was going to cry. The blonde almost groaned. “Seriously kid, you sure there’s nothing wrong with your eyes? Wipe em away.”

 

The boy listened, trying to dry his eyes. “If you still want me to have it then what do we need to talk about?”

 

All Might looked off into the distance. He wondered how Midoriya would take this news. “You’re too powerful.”

 

“Eh?!”

 

“I was watching the exam, which you already know. When you took on that zero pointer, I was quite proud. You harnessed one for all successfully and saved that girl. That’s what any good hero would do! But…..the speed at which you moved at and the strength you possessed…..it’s much greater than it ever should have been!” The blonde exclaimed, causing the greenette to almost fall over in shock,

 

“Seriously!? Didn’t you say it gets stronger from user to user though? Is it not just that?” The boy asked. The blonde could already see the boys analytic mind spring into action in his eyes.

 

“Do you remember when we were walking to your home together on the day we first met, what I said about your mark?”

 

“That it was odd?”

 

“No, just after that.”

 

“Oh!” The boy exclaimed. “You made a joke about it being a late quirk!” The blonde nodded. “But what’s that got to……..oh…….oh!” The boy caught up quickly.

 

“Midoriya, my boy. I need you to tell me everything that happened in that exam once you tried to save that girl. Leave no detail untold.”

 

 

And so the blonde spent the next five minutes listening to all the boy had to say. About the tendrils, the voice, the way the mark glowed up. Due to the pain and the worry about losing the exam the boy had ended up shoving it all to the back of his mind.

 

By the end neither of them had any doubts. The mark had to be some type of quirk based on how it works.

 

“That would also explain when you ran into that fight with the sludge villain.” All might said causing the greenette to look up confused. “Remember I said you moved pretty fast and did pretty well getting the boy out until he started struggling against you as well. I had brushed it off as just pure adrenaline but now I see I was being ignorant. You had the mark at the time so….”

 

“I…..” The boy had no idea how to respond. “What does this mean for One for All?”

 

"Whatever those tendrils are that you mentioned, One for All will make them powerful than they originally would have been and they’re only going to get stronger. Tendrils plus physical enhancements. What an odd quirk.”

 

“Im still no one hundred percent on that.” Said Midoriya, drawing in All Might’s attention. “My mum Is a telekinetic type and my dad apparently had a fire-breathe quirk. None of my immediate family had physical enhancements OR tendrils as quirks.”

 

“It certainly is odd. I do believe you should have a long talk with your mother about it. Did you tell her about you ‘developing a power in the middle of the exam’ like we discussed?”

 

“Not yet. Probably for the best, If the mark has physical enhancements of its own then I can hide One for All by saying the power came from the mark.”

 

“Good idea, young Midoriya.”

 

"One other thing, it will interest you to know I will be more local from now on. Just before we met, I applied for a position at U.A. as a teacher.” All might told him, causing the greenette to look up in shock.

 

“Wait really?!” Midoriya exclaimed, his surprise getting the better of him.

 

“Yeah. They didn’t want me telling anyone tell they made an official announcement but I felt like you deserved to know.” The blonde admitted as he stared out into the ocean. “Seemed like fortunate timing,..”

 

“You were going to give One for All to one of the students. Someone with a strong quirk I guess?” The boy asked as he caught up. “Someone who would have had better control than me. When I used your power, I broke my bones, completely wrecked my body…I could only take down one villain. I can’t control it, what do I do?”

 

“You’ll learn to manage it in time, complete mastery over such a power doesn’t come overnight. It would be like asking a baby to run a marathon, you gotta learn how to walk first.” All Might explained.

 

“Yeah…wait you knew I’d get hurt that badly?!” Midoriya couldn’t believe the man had neglected to mention that detail. For as much as he idolized him, Midoriya found himself thinking that common sense wasn’t his hero’s biggest strong suit.

 

“Well…We were in a time crunch and I didn’t want to hold you up in case you missed the exam. But it turned out alright! Plus now you know what you’re dealing with.” The blonde exclaimed, picking up a few cans of the ground causing Midoriya to scowl lightly. ‘Ten months cleaning this place and people STILL keep littering here.’ “Think of it like this, right now your quirk is all or nothing. 0 or a 100. One day, you’ll learn how to control your output, thus being able to control just how much power you’re using.”

 

“So I need control, it’s not like I didn’t realize that much.” The boy complained lightly. He didn’t want to sound ungrateful but broken bones was NOT a part of his hero plan.

 

“You’re overflowing with energy and quite clearly from what we saw it’s a LOT of energy. The more training you do, the better your body can hold it.” All Might explained before suddenly buffing up into his muscle form and crushing the cans. “Then it’s yours to command!”

 

 The blonde powered down again, likely to save energy before he continued. “You can harness One for All, its simple. You have to feel it!” The skinny man exclaimed throwing his hands out wide.

 

“Can you maybe be a little more specific please?!” The greenette pleaded, not understanding his mentor who had started punching the air.

 

“You now know what it’s like to fire on all cylinders right?”

 

“Yeah, like a bunch of shattered bones.” Midoriya deadpanned.

 

“No I mean the rush inside! You must of felt it coursing through you! What was it like?”

 

The freckle-faced boy took a moment to think, however he could only think of various sound effects to try to describe the sensation. “Like a wshhh or KApow or….Oh I got it! Like an egg exploding in a microwave!”

 

The blonde sprayed out some blood as he laughed at the comparison. “That’s pretty boring kid but ok! If that’s the metaphor you want to go with then decrease the cooking time or lower the wattage. whatever you do, focus on making sure the egg doesn’t explode, alright?”

 

‘I can do that.’

 

“You gotta keep trying. Control isn’t going to happen overnight but the more you focus on that image the faster you’ll learn.” All might finished, giving him a thumbs up

 

“Right…Thanks All Might! Oh uh, I should probably get going soon, my mom needed me back earlier!”

 

"Alright, just one more thing..." 

 

The student and mentor talked a little more about the fine details of the events to see if they could gleam anymore clues but no avenue bore any more fruit for thought.

 

Finally, Midoriya had to make his way home. The blonde couldn’t help feeling guilty when he saw the sulk in his successor as he walked away. He knew he couldn’t tell him the actual results of the exam but that didn’t make letting him continue to believe he’d failed easy at all.

 

He would find out the truth soon enough though. Young Midoriya was going to U.A. like he always wanted.


	4. U.A High and Far Reach

 

Footsteps echoed down the far-reaching hallway as Midoriya ran to find his class. He only had a few more minutes and no idea if he was close.

 

“1-A, 1-A, 1-A” He muttered to himself as he went down the halls until…

 

“Ah, there it is! Woah what the?” The boy slowed as he walked to the door which went all most all the way up to the roof. “Is there giants in this class or something!?”

 

The boy lifted his hand to the handle as his mind pondered who could be in here. He almost froze when he realized it could be the blue-haired boy or even Kacchan.

 

Kacchan….

 

While he had no idea if the blue haired boy had gotten into the school, Kacchan definitely had. He had been with the greenette when the teacher had called them up to congratulate them on getting into U.A.

 

Kacchan was NOT happy after that. The greenette also remembered how much the opposite his mom had been this morning. Despite his rush to get out he still was happy she stopped him to say what she did.

 

 

‘Izuku! Im really proud of you son.’

 

 Midoriya shook his head to clear the thoughts, now wasn’t the time. Besides, what was the chances either one of those two would be in his class.

 

With that he gently opened the door…

 

….and immediately ended up cursing his luck

 

“Take your feet off that desk now!” Came the strict harsh tone of the blue-haired boy, which were answered by the goading, rough tones of Midoriya’s blonde nightmare.

 

“You’re kidding me, right?” The blonde asked while glaring at the taller boy. The two started to argue but it all went through one ear and out the other for Midoriya, too busy lamenting his luck. No one had noticed his arrival yet due to the fight.

 

‘Why did I have to end up with both of them?!’ he yelled internally. **‘It’s quite the amusing scenario if you ask me.’**

 

That didn’t fail to make the boy stumble over in fear and surprise, drawing everyone’s attention. The first day and already he was making a fool of himself. Where did that voice come from, was it the same one from the exam?!

 

“It’s him.” He heard the blue-haired boy say, as if in shock before the boy started marching towards him. “I’m Tenya Iida, from Somei academy.”

 

“U-uh Hiiii, I, uh, i-m Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you all.” The boy started fidgeting nervously, looking skywards to avoid anyone’s gazes.

 

“I must apologize, Midoriya.” Iida said, getting the greenette’s attention. And confusion. “You realized there was something else to the exam. You must be very perceptive, I completely misjudged you. You are a much superior student than I.”

 

The smaller boy sweat dropped. ‘um…I find that hard to believe.’

 

He took a moment to look around who was in his class. They were all interesting but the real standouts were a boy with a bird head, one with two tone hair, a small boy with balls in place of hair, a girl with earphone jacks and a pink-skinned girl. There were so many quirks he’d have to analyze and learn about here!

 

“Hey I recognize that messed up hair! Falling boy!” A familiar voice said from behind the greenette, causing him to turn in surprise to see her talking about what he did at the exam. ‘No way! Its her, I knew she got in on recommendations but I didn’t think I’d be lucky enough for us to be in the same class. She looks really nice in that uniform.’

 

“Oh hey h-hi! Uraraka right? So uh, I should probably thank you for going in and talking to him!”

 

“Huh how’d you know about that?”

 

They talked for a little while, just a few minutes. Uraraka had been really surprised and embarrassed to find out what she did was in the boy’s acceptance letter.

 

"I wonder what our teachers are like, I can’t wait to meet everybody!”

 

“If your just here to make friends you can pack up and leave.” Came a gruff voice. Midoriya looked around Uraraka to see a man on the floor wrapped up in a yellow sleeping bag. ‘What the heck?!’

 

“It took eight seconds before you all shut up, that’s not going to do. Time is precious, rational students would understand that” The man said, standing up and unzipping his sleeping bag.

 

 **‘Midoriya** ’ the greenette’s eyes widened, it was definitely the same voice as the one from the exam. **‘You are not going to trust me so soon, I’m sure. I don’t really care, I’m simply along for the ride but I will warn you now. That man, for all his talk of rationality, is anything but when it comes to teaching. Be careful or your first day of school will also be your last.’**

That was certainly foreboding. The greenette eyed the man warily, so he was a teacher according to the voice? Was the voice part of his late quirk or was the greenette going insane? Either way, the boy decided to heed its warning, he had no reason to trust it but also none to distrust it yet.

 

‘Just who is this guy? If he’s here then he has to be some kind of pro but he looks so worn out. That voice made him seem like a teacher….’

 

“Hello, I’m Shota Aizawa. Your teacher.” The class all seemed to shout or recoil in shock from that. Midoriya’s gaze hardened. The voice wasn’t wrong about that, though that hardly eased Midoriya now. The man started rummaging around the bag he had before pulling out a gym outfit. “Let’s get to it. Put these on and          head out side.”

 

The man left the outfits on the table at the front and waited on everyone taking a suit before leading them outside. All the while Midoriya found himself absorbed into his thoughts.

 

The voice was back, he had no idea if that was a positive or a negative.

 

What did Aizawa have in mind? The voice certainly didn’t seem to think highly of him.

 

The stress was getting to be too much and Midoriya quickly found himself using the trick he’d picked up at the exam to handle it, dropping into his memories.

 

He remembered his old classes registry list, some of the days at the beach with all might and talking with his mom. His mom….

 

~~~~

 

_The greenette took a deep breathe. How was he going to explain this to his mom, it seemed such a simple task at the beach. He couldn’t just go “Oh hey mom by the way I have a quirk now and it completely wrecks my body.”_

_“YOU WHAT?!”_

_Midoriya blinked, his mom had sprayed her drink across the room and was staring at him in shock. “Oh Crap that was supposed to be internal. I um…..Im sorry to spring the news on you like that. I…..During the exam, there was this girl.” He looked and saw his mom was giving him her full undivided attention, a joy and worry in her eyes. He’d already gotten this far, no point in stopping now. “There was this robot, it was big. I don’t know what they were thinking putting it in an exam like that full of untrained students. This girl, she got trapped under some rubble and the robot, it was bearing down on her fast. Everyone was too busy running away to notice. Well almost everyone.”_

_“Izuku, you didn’t?” She said, the woman had a slight fear in her eyes. That definitely made the boy guilty, he knew his mum would have a heart attack learning her son had jumped into danger like that but….._

_“No one else saw her but me. I forgot it was an exam, in that moment all I could see was someone who needed help and no one helping…” The boy admitted. “I don’t even know when I’d gotten on my feet. I was moving on instinct. One moment I was on the ground, the next I was flying through the air.”_

_“You were flying?!” His mom asked, clear confusion running through her. “But that’s nothing like me or your fathers quirk?”_

_“Well I wasn’t literally flying, it was just the force of my jump. But yeah, the quirk I have really isn’t at all like you or….his.” Izuku basically hissed the last word. “Do you remember the day when I came back with this?” He said, showing the back of his left hand to his mother._

_“I could hardly forget.” The woman said in an anxious voice. “The shock and disappointment when I thought it was a tattoo alone has seared the whole experience into my brain. Again, I’m so sorry for how I acted. Especially after already such a rough day for you.”_

_Midoriya took a breather. It still hurt remembering how his mom had reacted. She hadn’t been happy. Rarely did he see her angry, and knowing he was the cause (even if he technically wasn’t) really eat away at him. After he had finally gotten her to let him explain she had immediately run off to phone the doctors and was a panicking frenzy. They had gone to the doctors but they had found all it could be was some odd birth mark that appeared really late. Both son and mother knew how ridiculous that was, leaving the mystery of the mark unsolved._

 

_At least now he definitely knew his mom was NOT fond of tattoo's_

_When Izuku had returned to school, he had ended up running with the idea that it had come from Bakugou trying to get a tattoo from someone with an inking quirk but the person somehow messing up their aim with Midoriya in the vicinity. After all an accidental tattoo was less likely to get him more bullying from the others than a villain mark or birth mark. It was a terrible lie but the class bought it. Midoriya had come up with it in the moment though and expected Bakugou to be all over his case about it but for some reason the blonde never objected._

_The greenette got up from his seat and went to hug his mom. “Its not your fault, you couldn’t of known.”_

_“So what about the mark?” The woman asked as the boy pulled away. The boy looked at the remote over on the table. ‘I wonder…’_

_“I’ll show you, watch my hand.” He said, and she complied. He had no idea if he could do this but he’d only learn about his new power by using it so….._

_The mark glowed blue as Midoriya’s hands made a claw shape, causing the woman to gasp. Midoriya focused on the remote, he almost swore he could see a blue marker around it guiding him. Finally the greenette tried to summon the tendrils, remembering what they felt like before._

_Both the greenette’s were in for a shock when there was no small black tendrils but instead one big black and purple tentacle wrapped in smaller tendrils that shot out from the boy’s palm. It wrapped around the remote and pulled it back with force, disappearing before the remote had made its way back to the boys hand._

_“Wait wait NO!” The boy shouted as the remote came sailing through the air before clocking him hard, knocking him over._

_“IZUKU!” He heard his mom shout as he laid on the floor clutching his head. That hurt. He could almost swear he heard a male voice laughing somewhere. His mom came to him with a first-aid kit. “What was that?!”_

_“I don’t know.” The boy groaned as his mother dabbed his head with a cold cloth. “I was trying to make the small tendrils I had in the exam. That was so much stronger though….”_

_Is that what One for All did to quirks? But……it didn’t feel like it activated there….._

_~~~~_

 

**“Interesting….Far Reach……That’s the name of that power”**

 

Midoriya was brought out his memories as they finally arrived at the field. The voice again, was he going to hear it so much more now?

 

They’re teacher explained that they would be doing a quirk assessment test in place of orientation. They were going to be scored based on the results, using they’re quirks would get them more points than if they just did the exercises normally. They were pretty much being scored on their ability to cheat using their powers.

 

The part that really had Midoriya worried was the punishment for whoever scored the last. Scoring the least meant they had no potential as a hero and thus would be expelled. Suddenly the boy understood the voices criticism of the teacher. It turned out to not be all the voice had to say about the teacher either.

 

**“Two years ago, Shota Aizawa expelled 7 different students, all on the same day, three would have been heroes rivalling the likes of the top ten heroes. One still considers switching to the side of villainy to this day. One day they might find that little push. I wonder if they’ll come back for the man who made them think it was all they had.”**

Midoriya couldn’t say he completely agreed with the voices logic. If that one person goes down the path of villainy for that reason, that was their own choice. He still found himself slowly starting to dislike his teacher though.

 

The tired pro had made Bakugou throw a softball to show them the kinds of things they’d be doing. The greenette’s jaw dropped when the blonde got a score of 705.2M

 

~~~~

 

The greenette gulped as he walked up to the start of the 50M dash, he’d be going against Bakugou because of course he would be, fate just loved him that way. He could only activate One for All at 100% right now. And he had next to zero training with his ‘Far Reach’ as the voice had called it.

 

He couldn’t rely on either right now, if he did he could end up causing too many problems for himself. One for All would break him and he had no idea what he could even do with Far Reach. It was so frustrating.

 

He shook his head, there was only one thing for it. He had to do the tests quirkless. He knew he had the physically enhancements from the mark but without One for All they were barely noticeable.

 

~~~~ 

 

By the fifth test, Midoriya was ready to keel over and just collapse. He had scored horribly on all the tests so far, his attempts to see if he could harness a lower power of One for All were all fruitless and he didn’t dare try bringing far reach into the mix.

 

He knew it now, he had started with the foolish notion he could somehow pass the quirk test without using his. He had to take a risk in the next test with One for All OR Far Reach. It didn’t matter which.

 

There was no way he was going to beat the score Uraraka just got, that was for sure. Super strength or not, he doubted he could reach 'infinity.' Everyone was clamouring over the girls score. It was definitely impressive but the boys mind was clouded with other issues.

 

He walked up for his turn, picking up the ball and observing it. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. It didn’t matter what he did, he just had to do it! ‘All that’s left is this, the distance run and the seated toe-touch. No matter what I use, its now or never. Far Reach or One for All, this is my best chance to use them.’

 

He could hear Iida and Bakugou talking about him but he tried his best to ignore it.

 

_‘Izuku! I’m really proud of you son.’_

 

 His scores had been terrible so far and he had no way of knowing the full strength of Far Reach. If he wanted a good score, it had to be One for All. Otherwise he'd be expelled, after everything he did to get here.

 

_‘Young man, you too can become a hero.’_

 

He gritted his teeth and let the power course through his arm, winding back and moving into the throw. ‘This is it! I won’t let them down!’

 

The ball sailed through the air….all of 46 meters before falling back to earth. ‘NO!’

 

“What gives, I was trying to use it just now?” He asked no one in particular as he stared at his hand.

 

“I erased your quirk.” Came the gruff voice of his teacher. He turned to see the scarf he’d been wearing flying all around and his hair swept away in the breeze. His eyes glowed red. “The judges for this exam….were not rational enough!”

**_“For all his talk of being rational, that man is anything but.”_ **

****

“Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school.” The man said simply. That definitely hurt to hear but Midoriya found himself hung up on another detail.

 

“Wait you did what to my---Ah!” The boy cut himself off as he noticed the goggles hanging around the man’s neck “Those goggles! I know you! You can look at someone and cancel out their powers. You’re the underground Erasure hero, Eraserhead!”

 

His sudden exclamation got the other all talking. Most seemed to never of heard of him, which didn’t surprise the boy. He barely knew anything despite his fanboying over all types of heroes. Midoriya almost hissed in discomfort as he heard a familiar drone in his ear but no voice.

 

“You’re not ready. You don’t have control over your power.”

 

 **“Is that not your job? To teach those who make it in to learn how to use their powers? If a student is unable to properly control their power now, surely a teachers job should be first to assess the quirk and see if they can help.”** The voice certainly sounded annoyed, Midoriya did his best to focus on the teacher in front of him instead.

“Were you planning on breaking your bones again? Counting on someone else to save your useless body?” The man ask accusingly.

 

“No that’s not what-“ The boy never got to finish his sentence as the man’s scarf came at him and wrapped around him, dragging him to the teacher against his will. In a way he envied Bakugou’s fierce nature cause then maybe he’d have the guts to tear the scarf apart like a part of him wanted to.

 

“No matter what your intentions are, you would be nothing more than a liability in battle. You have the same reckless over-zealousness as another hero I know, a hero who saved a thousand people by himself and became a legend…but even with that drive, you’re worthless if you can only throw a single punch without breaking down. With your power there’s no way you can become a hero. Sorry Midoriya, but you have zero potential. No matter what that won’t change in the time you need it to in order to pass.” The man’s words pierced into like daggers. But the final sentence stuck out among the rest as the man let him go. “I’ve returned your impractical quirk. Go take your final throw. You’ll either break your entire arm or you’ll score pathetically. That’s simply how it is.”

 

As Midoriya walked back, the pro’s speech played through his mind. He was sure the voice would probably tell him to ignore him….the voice!

 

‘Can you hear me?’ The boy thought as he stopped at the stand. The ball on the floor.

 

 **“Yes I can.”** The voice seemed almost surprised that the boy was talking to it. The boy had no idea if this would work but the voice had seemed to have knowledge Midoriya definitely didn’t **“What do you want?”**

“Can I make him stop judging people so quick, even if I fail? Is there a way I can convince not to judge others so quickly in future?” He whispered that aloud, bending down to pick up the ball. This was it, he had to commit.

 

 **“Maybe. You surprise me. I can’t reveal how but right now, in this moment, you have the power to show him his failing yes. How, you must figure out yourself.”** The voice told him. The boy breathed. ‘This time, this is really it.’

 

He thought for a moment…what could he possibly do? As he thought he realized the word that had come up multiple times today that he had somehow missed. Potential.

 

He looked down at the mark. He had way more potential than he’s shown at all. And as he thought he also realized the exact words the teacher had said departing. Entire Arm…Entire…..

 

Midoriya’s gaze hardened and he switched the ball to his left hand, he knew what he needed to do. He had refused it take risks before but now it was his best shot.

 

Everyone watched In confusion. “Isn’t he right handed?! He threw with his right before!”

 

Midoriya focused on the ball, he had to focus! Could he even do this with Far Reach? He had no idea but he had to try.

 

Instead of throwing it forward he threw it up the way, using only his marked hand first. ‘Even if its not the same with his methods, mister Aizawa _was_ right about me!’

 

Midoriya shot his left hand forward, summoning his far reach like he did in his living room, it grabbed tight of the ball, he could already hear shocked gasps all around. Now it was time for the Coup De Gras.

 

The greenette focused on making sure the tentacle stayed manifested unlike before as he swung his body around in circles, building up moment. ‘This power, it manifests by materialising from my palm around my fingers, but I can still feel them underneath. If I use Far reach as a conductor for One for All…’

 

The boy put two of his finger together inside the appendage, summoning One for All into only his finger. ‘I _will_ become a hero!’

 

He flicked his fingers, feeling the force start blasting through the appendage. For its part, the tentacle contained it amazingly well as the pressure travelled up it, only small bursts appearing throughout. He could hear the shouts of awe around him. ‘Two quirks or no I still have to work way harder than anyone else here to succeed. Even if I have a lot to learn, I’ll focus on what I can do right now.’

 

An image of Uraraka releasing her anti-gravity quirk went through his mind as the pressure reached the tip. ‘Now…’ it was his best chance to control it. “Release!”

 

It certainly winded the boy but he didn’t have the time to catch his breath, he had felt the ball release with some great speed. Just a few seconds later….

 

BOOM!

 

The boy covered his ears and looked up shocked like everyone else. There was no way that was what he thought was it?! There was no way he could produce sonic boom….suddenly a sharp flare went through his fingers and he uncovered his ears to grab them.

 

He looked to see only his finger was broken, like he had hoped. He turned to his teacher who was looking straight at him. “Mister Aizawa...you see…..I’m still standing!”

 

The teacher smiled at him with a really creepy smile as Midoriya caught his breathe. He said something but the boy didn’t hear it.

 

**“Hmph, I didn’t think Far Reach could be used like that. You really are something else.”**


	5. Training

To say All Might was impressed was the understatement of the century. He’d been watching the quirk test Aizawa had devised to make sure his student was all right. After all, Aizawa wasn’t known for letting people like Midoriya stay at U.A.

 

The blonde knew that Midoriya possessed far more power than he’d originally anticipated actually properly getting to see it and feel it himself. That sonic boom was proof, Midoriya was already terrifyingly strong within weeks of getting One for All.

 

‘Holy crap kid. You really put the ultra in Plus Ultra, your fingers are broken but not your whole hand… ‘The blonde found a giddy feeling rising inside him as he assessed his successor’s performance. ‘You knew you needed a high score but couldn’t afford to break your whole hand so you threw the ball with your stronger hand and grabbed it with your new powers, making sure it was hollow on the inside to let the pressure travel. Instead of channeling the powers into your whole arm you restricted it to your fingers and let the air pressure to launch it. You used the extra height and momentum from your tendril thing to make up for the force you lost by not using your whole arm. Minimizing the injury to your body while possibly maximizing the throw more than One for All alone could…what the hell, young Midoriya?! HOW DID YOU GO AND GET SO COOL?!’

 

Pride. That was it. That was what the blonde was feeling, proud of his successor. The muscular man watched the scene unfold, it was subtle but he could see the change in Aizawa’s eyes regarding Midoriya.

 

The greenette's classmates were all over the place. Half were talking amongst themselves how probably the only who’d beat the boy was the girl before him. The rest were too busy being stunned or recovering from the loud boom.

 

All Might constantly found himself grateful for his massively increased hearing from One for All. This was no exception as Aizawa announced Midoriya’s score.

 

“1020 Meters.”  That brought the stunned students out of their stupor.  Didn’t take long for the praise to start, of course it wasn’t from Aizawa.

 

“NICE! He’s finally showing us what he can really do!” Exclaimed a brown-haired girl, she seemed to be the one his student saved in the exam. Uraraka? He wanted to say Uraraka. Uraraka seemed pretty happy about it.

 

“That tentacle was quite the surprise. I thought his quirk was simply an enhancement type. That would explain his ability to redirect himself in the exam.” A blue-haired boy said. He stood quite tall. All Might could tell straight away he must be an Iida from his features. ‘Looks just like Ingenium.’

 

“He broke his fingers, like in the exam. This quirk is very odd.” Iida continued.

 

“It had quite a flair to it until the end.” A blonde boy with a french accent said. “With a bit of work he could be as pretty as Moi~”

 

As All Mights gaze continued to wander over the students he spotted the blonde boy he saved so many months ago. Katsuki Bakugou. There was one student he had taken the time to learn plenty about. With how Midoriya often described him, he felt it best to be prepared.

 

The smaller blonde had his jaw dropped and quite an unflattering look of shock plastered on his face. Guess that answered the new teacher’s question of whether he knew about Midoriya’s new quirks yet.

 

All Might couldn’t help his instinctual reaction to step out the shadows as explosions start happening around the boy’s hand. He knew it would cause a scene though and stepped back in with a bit of guilt. ‘Aizawa can handle it. Don’t push yourself more than needed.’

“HEY! DEKU YOU BASTARD! TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT OR YOUR DEAD!” The blonde screamed furiously. The greenette seemed to almost freeze up as the blonde rocketed towards him.  Before the boy could get close enough to do any damage though Aizawa’s scarf came flying through the air and trapped the blonde in place.

 

“Hey What the?!” Bakugou shouted in surprise. “Why the hell is your scarf so damn strong.”

 

“Because it’s a capture weapon made out of Carbon Fiber and a special metal alloy. STAND DOWN.” The scruffy teacher demanded. “It would wise to avoid making me use my quirk so much. It gives me serious dry-eye. Your wasting my time now, whoever’s next can step up.”

 

Midoriya cautiously walked around the blonde, who seemed almost as though he was paralyzed on the spot before running off to join Uraraka who fussed over his finger.

 

‘Young Bakugou, according to Midoriya you’re a prideful one. To have him so firmly beat you…..’ The muscular man made a mental note to keep an eye on the younger blonde when he could.

 

 

The rest of the events didn’t prove all that interesting. Midoriya wasn’t going to use One for All and destroy himself more when he was trying to avoid it and the Pro presumed that Midoriya didn’t want to risk seeing what effects his broken finger would have on his Tendril-Tentacle when he still needed to complete the tests ahead.

 

Now it was time to see the scores. The blonde's breathe hitched into his throat. Aizawa was rarely one to go back on his words and he had said whoever scored lowest was to be expelled.

 

Midoriya may have had a beyond exceptional result for the ball throw but that was only one test. The first five he had performed somewhat above average, likely thanks to his mark. But the last three…..he had severely under performed. Could the boy get away with his performance? Even if he was just second last, it would keep him in the running.

The list formed into existence.

**1\. Momo Yaoyorouzu.   2. Shoto Todoroki.**  
**3\. Katsuki Bakugou.      4. Tenya Iida.**  
**5\. Fumikage Tokoyami. 6. Mezo Shoji**  
**7\. Mashirao Ojiro.         8. Eijirou Kirishima**  
**9\. Mina Ashido            10. Ochaco Uraraka**  
**11\. Koji Koda                12. Rikido Sato**  
**13\. Tsuyu Asui              14. Yuga Aoyama**  
**15\. Hanta Sero              16. Denki Kaminari**  
**17\. Kyoka Jirou (Tied)   17. Izuku Midoriya (Tied)**  
**18.** **Tooru Hagakure.    19. Minoru Mineta**

 

 

The blonde let out the breath he was holding. In the crowd he could his successor looking similarly relieved. One small student with purple balls for hair seemed to be shaking in fear. Was that the ‘Mineta’ on the list? Poor kid didn’t last long.

 

“And I was lying, no ones going home.” The tired pro announced. “That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all on the test.”

 

The class were all shouting amongst each other dismay. Some seemed to already presume that it was a ruse. All Might suddenly had the overwhelming urge to punch the wall beside him.

 

"Midoriya. Here, go see the old woman about your finger.” Aizawa said, handing the boy a slip to see the nurse before wandering towards where All Might had been observing. “Oh and tell her I noticed something odd. Your bones don’t break immediately.”

 

“WAIT WHAT?!” The boy shouted surprised. That cause the pro to stop. A look of confusion on his face.

 

“You haven’t noticed? Your fingers didn’t immediately turn all bruised when you finished your throw. They only bruised up after a few moments of inactivity. I suppose you’ve just brushed the lack of pain of initially as adrenaline?”

 

“Yeah….” The boy answered, clearly unsure.

 

~~~~ 

 

All Might looked up from his coffee as Izuku fidgeted nervously in the armchair across from him. The blonde had tried to reprimand the boys teacher but had just made himself look a fool.

 

He had returned here to rest and at the end of the school day Midoirya had showed up. Uraraka had tagged along but stayed outside. The boy had just finished recounting the voice in his head and what the voice had told him.

 

“Curious and curiouser….that mark.” All Might couldn’t find the words to describe what he wanted to say. He had looked up the facts the voice had told Midoriya and they all checked out. He would ask Nezu later if they could check up on those kids just in case. “Hmph. Well I can’t say much more than be cautious. Even in this world of superpowers, hearing voices is rarely a good thing.”

 

The greenette just gave a slight nod as he stared at the ground. Both found themselves eyeing the pattern on the back of the boy’s hand.

 

“I want you to know, I wasn’t sure whether I should’ve let you show multiple powers or not.” The greenette looked up panicked at the idea he had accidentally gone against the blonde’s wishes. “Relax, after seeing that display, it seems silly to prevent you from using them. You need to learn about using One for All and….Far Reach you said the voice called it? School can help with both so no point in hiding.”

 

“Right.” The boy said, with a sigh of relief.

 

"So tomorrow will be your first time with real hero training.” The blonde clapped his hands, knowing the subject would definitely bring out his pupils cheery side. “What did you have your quirk registered as, if I may ask? After all there’s a lot going on with you.”

 

“Mark. I just had it registered as Mark.” The boy told him. “It hides One for All, explains the…well mark and is vague enough that no-one will really question any odd design features I’ll need for my costume.”

 

"Smart.” The blonde approved. “I’ll be honest with you, my boy. I am a little nervous about tomorrow. Going from one pupil to 20, won’t be easy.”

 

The greenette was up on his feet in no time. “You’ll do great All Might! You’re the #1 pro for a reason so I bet you’ll be the best teacher.”

 

That got a laugh from the blonde, which caused some blood to spray out. “I think your fanboying might be getting in the way of realistic expectations but thanks kid. It helps.”

 

The blonde then smirked. “Speaking of great, so your body DOESN’T get immediately get destroyed by One for All? That’s some pretty good news. What exactly did Recovery Girl say?”

 

The boy scratched the back of his head and shut his eyes with a soft smile. “She has a theory that when one for all is active and im still moving the damage doesn’t take place. It only appears once I stop moving which is why I wasn’t hurt until after I took out the zero pointer at the exam. My own theory is that the mark must have something to do with why that’s the case.”

 

“Makes sense.” The blonde said, sipping his coffee.

 

The boy sat back down and started fidgeting. The blonde had spent enough time with the boy to pick up on his habits. Whenever he wanted to ask something or say something but thought the man would berate him for it he’d fidget. (He rarely did berate him, the boy’s self-confidence still needed work.) “What do you want to ask, young Midoriya?”

 

“Well….” The boy started before trailing off, like he was trying to find the right words. “I don’t want to cut into any more of your precious time when I already stole so much of it during those ten months but…..I took a massive risk using Far Reach in the test, I still have barely any idea how it works and I should probably make sure I have at least some idea before I use it in any lessons….”

 

“Understandable.” The blonde said, He could already see where this was going and found himself resting the urge to roll his eyes at his protégé, it was hardly his fault his confidence was so down.

 

“I was wondering if….maybe…. you’d spend some time with me and try to help me train using Far Reach?” The boy asked nervously. “Ifyoudon’twanttothatsfineitottallyunderstandatitwasprobablyprettypresumtousofmetoaskatallimsorryishoudln’tof-“

 

“Can you develop a third quirk please that mutates a zip on your mouth?” The blonde asked, exasperated. He stood up and put a hand on his kid’s shoulder “Listen, my boy. I was your teacher even before I joined U.A., It’s my job to train you. You should never be afraid to ask, cause training you will never be a burden, ok?”

 

The blonde did roll his eyes when tears formed in the greenette’s. What the blonde wasn’t expecting was the sudden hug from the boy. “Thank you.”

 

The blonde, once he realized what was happening, returned the hug. “Alright kid, that’s enough with the sappy stuff, isn’t that girl waiting for you?”

 

That caused a massive blush on the boy. “Ahh! Right, Uraraka, I shouldn’t have left her waiting so long.” The boy turned and hurried out the door. “Bye All Might!!”

 

“Haha, see ya later kid. Oh! And I’ll text you were to meet up later. Now go get your girlfriend!” The blonde teased as the boy ran off. There was a squeak that unmistakably came from Midoriya.

 

The blonde went for another sip of coffee but almost ended up spilling it over himself in surprise when he heard a voice behind him.

 

“Well well well, looks like someone’s already getting one well with some of the students.” Midnight giggled. Another pro at the school with long purple hair and a very provocative outfit. “It gets me all excited just thinking about it.”

 

“You really need help.” The blonde groaned.

 

“I get help weekly from Hizashi I’ll have you know.” The woman said with a wink, causing the blonde to spray his drink across the room and making her laugh. “Kidding~”

 

~~~~ 

 

Not for the first time, All Might found himself laughing himself to death at his successor. It was probably a bit mean but the boy has turned into a walking slapstick routine while training his Far Reach.

 

The blonde had brought them to a large abandoned warehouse near the beach they used to work at. It was completely empty on one side and the other had loads of miscellaneous items scattered about. It proved to be the perfect space to work on the boys powers.

 

They had first used the empty space to get the boy used to summoning his power. They quickly found no matter what the tentacle would always come out at the same length if it had nothing to grab onto. Midoriya could keep it active but if he did he would quickly tire out.

 

After that, Midoriya had suggested they replicate the incident with the TV remote that happened at his house but try to have the boy catch the items. They had gone up to the higher floor to practice, near a broken window. It had turned out to be good training as well as a good bunch of laughs for All Might, the boy had a talent for having the things he pulled barely miss his hand and hit him in the face or chest instead. The first time the blonde had been concerned, the 20 consecutive times he’d risked causing more damage to his stomach from the laughs.

 

The blonde didn’t think he’d laugh as much when Izuku got ready to try again, it was starting to lose it charm. Of course, when he had expectations Midoriya had a way of far surpassing and destroying them. The boy summoned his power again and completely missed the items this time. They were both in for a surprise tentacle stuck to the wall just behind the table and Midoriya got yanked through the air towards it.

 

“AGGHH!” The boy shouted in surprise as the skinny blonde almost collapsed from laughter.

 

“Holy crap kid. You sure hero work is your calling and not comedy work?” The blonde laughed. As he finally calmed down they both took a break and sat on the ledge of the broken window.

 

“That was….weird.” The shorter of the two said in reference to the wall incident.

 

“Hmm, I wonder….” The blonde said aloud as he thought about the power. “Hey kid I know it tires you out but you think you could keep it summoned for a minute?”

 

The boy did as he asked and All Might ran his hand across the tentacle. “Just like I thought, it’s all sticky.” The blonde smirked at the kid. “It would be pretty good for navigation if you figure out how, clearly. Even without One for All this is a pretty amazing power kid.”

 

“I just….I wonder why it took so long to manifest then if it’s a quirk.” The boy said, examining it.

 

“You sure like to look at it that’s for sure.” The blonde joked, causing the greenette to look up surprised.

 

“Oh…well uh…..I guess its just physical reminder that I actually have powers now. Hurts though.” The boy said. Alarming the man.

 

“Wait what do you mean hurts?” The blonde asked concerned.

 

“Oh, I didn’t want to worry you! It’s nothing serious, just whenever I use the Far Reach my hand kind of flares in pain. Not much, it’s bearable. I thought it was just cause of breaking myself during the exam and earlier today but now I think about it… It hurt when it activated at the exam as well even before I destroyed my arm.” The boy admitted. “Its nothing I can’t handle though.”

 

“For goodness sake…” The blonde sighed, exasperated. “Promise me you’ll talk to recovery girl about it at least, that could be serious.”

 

“Right! Im sorry for not doing it yet.” The greenette apologized. “Its just, so much else was happening, it slipped my mind.”

 

“Well at least you—WOAAHHH” The blonde had made to get up as he was talking but ended up standing on one of the items neither had noticed, causing the blonde to slip and fall backwards out the window to Midoriya’s horror.

 

“ALL MIGHT!” The boy shouted in shock. On instinct he leaned out the window and threw his left hand forward, summoning his power. At the same time, The man bulked up into his muscle form. The boy had forgotten about that! ‘oh crap im going to get pulled out by his weight!’

 

At least, that’s what the boy thought but to both there surprise when the tentacle wrapped around All might, He was stopped in the air. He was definitely heavy but not enough to pull the boy out like he thought.

 

The muscular man looked up and laughed. “Haha, nice work Midoriya! Why don’t you see if you can pull me up from there?”

 

"I don't have the strength for that!" The greenette cried out.

 

“Come on! You won't know until you try.” The blonde encouraged him. The greenette cursed his mentor but listened, pulling. To his surprise, while it was no easy task he actually could pull the man back up.

 

It took a fair few minutes but eventually the blonde had climbed back in through the window and powered down to his skinny state. “Nice job kid!”

 

The greenette didn’t reply, instead opting to lie on the floor panting,

 

“And hey, now we know you can carry some seriously heavy loads.” The blonde laughed. “Take a breather, then I think we should start experimenting with travelling using that power.”

 

 

The two ended up spending another 4 hours training. The boy was just finally starting to get used the momentum of the power and how far he could travel when he got a phone call from his mom wondering where in the heck he was.

 

The boy looked at his phone and nearly dropped it in surprise when he realized it was half 11.

 

The two departed, apologising to each other for taking up so much of the others time. As All Might watched Midoriya run home he smiled. Hopefully the accidental extra time training would give the boy the confidence to use it tomorrow. After all, the blonde was quite excited to see what the boy could do with his brains and that power.


	6. Calm before the storm

Izuku let out a sigh of relief as the teacher (present mic) announced he was right about the question on the board. His English wasn’t amazing but it was better than some others in the class, he quickly learned when a blonde boy called Kaminari identified a phone as a shoe.

 

The voice had been mostly quiet since the quirk test. Midoriya wasn’t sure to be thankful for the peace or mournful for the loss of someone who could of taught him more about his power.

 

He set his mind to the previous day of school. Not that there was much interesting about it but it helped him relax. He had learned that if he relied on Recovery Girls quirk it could kill him. that was a shock. He had also become fast friends with Iida and Uraraka.

 

He couldn’t believe he had accepted Deku as a nickname from the girl but he couldn’t deny hearing her say it so endearingly made him like it. He found he’d blush and freeze up a lot when talking to her. Not that it really surprised him, he was super awkward around most people and if they were of the opposite gender he found himself making a fool of himself. He recalled their conversation after they all introduced themselves properly to each other.

 

_“Oh yeah, Midoriya.” Iida spoke up as they passed the entrance. “I’ve been meaning to ask, just what was that during the ball throw? I was under the impression your quirk was just an enhancement type.”_

_“Oh yeah!” Uraraka perked her head up. “You caught the ball in that super weird tendril thing. Just what the heck is your quirk?”_

_‘Crap, what do I tell them?! I barely have any idea myself. Well the voice called the power Far Reach but I can hardly let them know I have multiple powers, if I do that might raise questions that could expose One for All.’ The boy thought up what he could say quickly on the spot. Maybe he could admit to multiple powers if he worded it carefully. If he only told them the half-truth then hopefully that would satiate them._

_“Well, it’s odd.” The boy started, attracting both their attention. He showed them the back of his left hand. “My actual quirk is called Mark, this thing here is the namesake.”_

_“Oh that’s so cool looking! All my quirk gives me are the pads on my finger.” Uraraka exclaimed, showing the boy her fingers. “And you got something like a really cool tattoo.”_

_"I can't deny I was concerned that it WAS a tattoo. While I have no problem with people who wish to put designs on their body, you are nowhere near the age for it to be legal. I could not condone such actions!” The tall teen exclaimed. ‘Crap, if that’s Iida’s feelings then I have to warn him about the old excuse I used before I knew what it was….but that’s going to raise questions. Dammit, Izuku you stuck yourself in this time…wait that’s an idea!’_

_“Well then I should probably warn you, there was a lot of confusion over this thing a few months ago.” Midoriya started examining it, remembering all the stares and mutterings about him there was when it showed up. “You see I didn’t have it until roughly  a year ago.”_

_“Wait what? No way! How?” Uraraka questioned, confused as to the lat manifestation. Iida didn’t say anything but the look on his face showed similar wonderment._

_“Well, you’ve both seen what happens when I use 100% right?” It was rhetorical question but they both nodded. “Well, what do you think would happen if a 4 or 5 year old manifest that kind of power?”_

_“It certainly wouldn’t be pretty.” Iida nodded before properly comprehending his words. “Wait you don’t mean....”_

_“Until a month ago I was considered quirkless by everyone.” The boy told them. Both looked at him sadly._

_“That explains Bakugou calling you quirkless.” Uraraka said quietly. Iida had a finger to his chin, thinking. “People are hardly nice to quirkless people nowadays, i'm sorry if you had to put up with that.”_

_“Wait…A month ago….” Midoriya swore he could physically see the gears in Iida’s brain turning. “Don’t tell me the exam was the first time you used your power?!!”_

_The greenette just nodded. “Saving Uraraka. That was the very first time they ever appeared. I was just as surprised as anyone once I was flying through the air.”_

_"WHA?!” The brunette shouted in surprise and Iida looked at him with an equal amount of shock. “No way! That was the first time? But your moves were so amazing, you're trying to tell us that was just luck?!”_

_“I guess so.” The greenette said nervously, scratching his head. The taller teen walked over to the greenette and placed a hand on his shoulder._

_“Then I seriously must apologize again for how I acted at the exam. It must of took great amounts of courage just to walk into the school to attempt the exam quirkless alone. And to run head on into the danger like that, just to save another and stay cool under the pressure of powers you had no idea about. Midoriya I misjudged you severely and I am immensely sorry for how I acted. I can only hope to one day be as courageous as you.”_

_“Iida…” The boy said. Suddenly both boys felt a pair of arms wrap around their necks._

_“Well that was super cute.” Giggled the girl who was currently causing Izuku to turn a shade of red not yet discovered by mankind. “So back to what started this, You still haven’t told us what that tentacle was Deku or what you wanted to warn Iida about.”_

_“R-right!” The boy said, working his way out of the side hug to calm down. “Well, uh, you see…..Yeah….I wasn’t really treated the greatest in middle school. A lot of my classmates saw me as some freak to avoid at all costs. I’d gone through too much of my life quirkless to ever consider it could have been one of my own. In fact I thought it was mark from a villain and didn’t want to give my class any more excuses to hate me so….I pretended it was an accident that occurred when walking past a tattooist. I said that when I was walking past, there was a mishap and the tattooist’s quirk ended up putting the mark on me instead.”_

_“Hm, I see.” Iida said. “Like I said before, I do find lying quite the immoral act normally but seeing the situation you were in, I can hardly blame you. I’m just glad you are away from those classmates all together.”_

_"Yeah!” Uraraka pumped a fist into the air. “And god forbid it ever happening but even if you did end up losing your quirk at any point I promise I’d still stand by you Deku!”_

_“I concur, quirk or not you are quite clearly an exceptional student and person. I would stand by you as well.” Iida said. Izuku could feel the tears starting but willed them to stay at bay for now. He could cry happy tears on the train._

_“So the tentacle?”_

_“Right.” The greenette said. He told them about the tendrils during the exam and how they morphed into the tentacle. How the exam was the first time he was using it properly. The only change he made was acting as if he was the one to dub it Far Reach because he had a feeling it would be bad to tell them he was hearing voices. “So the test was basically the first time I properly used Far Reach, knowing what was going to happen. It didn’t show up for so long because it was basically waiting for my body to be ready to actually handle the power.”_

_“You certainly have a knack for impressive first times Midoriya.” Iida said, not realizing his innuendo. Uraraka burst out laughing heavily while Midoriya turned almost purple in embarrassment. “AH! Are you two ok? Did someone activate a quirk? Midoriya maybe you should go back to Recovery Girl.”_

_“It’s not that Iida.” Uraraka said through her laughs. “Replay what you just said in your head.”_

_While the girl tried to get the blue-haired boy see what he’d done, Midoriya considered his new power. He wondered how All Might would feel about what he did in the exam. All Might….._

 

_The greenette’s eyes widened. ‘Oh crap I should of told him about it before I left.’ The teen turned on the spot and ran back without any warning to the other two, “Sorry guys! I just released I forgot I needed to go to the teachers lounge for something!”_

_“Hang on I’ll come with you!” Uraraka shouted, running after him. “Sorry Iida!”_

_As the greenette ran away he thought he heard the blue-haired teen say something about still not being sure what he said wrong._

_~~~~_

 

Midoriya let out a sigh. A massive positive from the previous day was all the training he had managed with Far Reach. He had enough confidence in his traversal skills, as that turned out to be much easier than pulling stuff towards him. Far Reach would latch onto the floor or walls and he would be pulled forward. So long as he accounted for his momentum he could land with relative ease.

 

Grabbing objects had turned out to be his hardest challenge. Even after he had returned home he had gotten his mom to help him set up a small lineup of different size objects to try and pull to himself. The smaller an item, the harder it got. He found weight was rarely an issue though.

 

He could grab people as well, and considering the window incident with All Might, the boy felt confident he could pull even someone like Iida off their feet so long as he caught them off-guard.

 

He had considered what he could do with his Far Reach at length when he went to bed, after all sooner or later they would be doing combat training. He had yet to really have a chance to analyze most of his classmate’s quirks properly. He had some notes from basic observations but he needed to refine them as he learnt more.

 

The only people he really had any idea of what to expect from where Iida, Uraraka and Bakugou. To a lesser extent the blonde French boy as well. Aoyoma, was that his name?

 

Considering what One for All did to his body he knew he would likely be switching to focusing primarily on Far Reach from now on. It was a much safer and perhaps even more versatile power right now. He found out pretty quick though that it was restricted to his left hand.

 

 All Might’s first class would be in a few hours. He felt pretty excited to see how his mentor dealt with multiple students. He put the thoughts out of his head for now, as Todoroki, a bored looking boy with bi-toned hair, insisted the first sentence of the new question was wrong despite it clearly being number four. Did he miss something?

 

The question on the board read:

 

   Which of these sentences is wrong?

  1. The man whom I respect most is my father
  2. That is the house in which he lived
  3. I well remember the day on which we both met
  4. Please tell me all that you know



 

Weird. It was strange that someone who got in through recommendations would choose the wrong option.

 

 ~~~~

 

Midoriya finished a sketch of Iida’s face in his notebook beside some notes on the taller teen’s quirk as he waited with the rest of his class. It was time. Hero Basic Training class.

 

He found himself wondering once again what it would be like, he certainly had a better idea than the rest of his classmates what All Might could be like as a teacher but it was a different type of scenario for teaching. He didn’t get long to ponder on it as the door slid open.

 

“I AM HERE!” A familiar booming voice announced as the muscly man appeared in the doorway, holding onto its supports. “Coming through the door like a hero!”

 

A wide grin split across the boy’s face as he watched his mentor. The rest of the class seemed quite happy as well as shouts of surprise and excitement rang out. One of the girls, Asui the boy thought she was called, pointed out that he was wearing his silver age costume. A red blue and yellow ensemble. It took all the greenette’s will power to not externally fanboy.

 

"Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High! Think of it as hero-ing 101. Here you will learn the basics of being a pro and what it means to fight in the name of good!” The man started flexing his muscles as he talked. ‘Showboating like normal.’ Midoriya couldn’t help the amused thought slipping through the crack.

 

“Let’s get into it!” The blonde exclaimed as he pulled out a card which had ‘BATTLE’ emblazoned on the front in red font. “Today’s lesson will pull no punches!”

 

"Fight Training!” Kacchan growled happily. How someone did that Midoriya was still confused on. ‘Real combat?’

 

The pro went on to talk about costumes, pulling out the cases containing the classes. Midoriya only half followed what the man was saying at this point as he was freaking out internally. This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. Sure he had gone over some of what he could do with Far Reach but to have to implement those ideas so soon, with still only day worth of training?

 

He wasn't sure whether he’d rather end up facing Bakugou or Iida. They were the only ones he had any analysis on but at the same time, they seemed to be a lot more on the powerful side.

 

The boy shook his head, if he freaked out now it would get in the way of figuring out what he needed to do. He walked to the front with the rest of class, at least he’d get to try the costume from his mom. Before he could walk out to head the changing rooms though….

  
“Young Midoriya! Hang on a moment, the principal wished for me to tell you something.” The blond said. It also attracted the attention of some of his classmates raising their eyebrows in surprise but All Might shooed them off towards the changing rooms.

 

"Is something the matter?” The boy asked confused and slightly concerned. The blonde laughed.

 

“Ha! Nothing is wrong, my boy. Now, you’re smart so I’m sure you probably realized this yourself but it would perhaps be for the best if you’re relied only on Far Reach for now. The principal agreed that while the origin of it is certainly odd, until there are signs of any truly adverse long-term effects it would be better to rely on it.”

 

“Ok sir.” The boy nodded, looking at his hand. ‘Then I guess, it’s time to see what I can really do.’

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya cursed his luck as he stared at the building before him, Uraraka at his side. They were doing a training exercise in teams of two. His team, Team A, had somehow managed to end up having to face Bakugou AND Iida, Team D.

 

They were somewhere inside the building, playing the role of villains protecting a faux bomb. Team A had to either recover the weapon or capture the villains. Somehow Izuku doubted they’d win through capture, considering Bakugou’s nature.

 

It was a fight against two incredibly strong people with 15 years wroth to practice using their quirks, against his one day. His saving grace was Uraraka, with her anti-gravity power, so long as they were creative they could go far together. Unfortunately every time Midoriya looked at her he found himself blushing like a madman trying not make eye contact, WHY DID SHE HAVE TO LOOK SO GOOD IN THAT COSTUME?!

 

The boy shook his head. Focus. More than anything he needed to focus on the almost inevitable battle with Kacchan. The blonde would not be happy about his sudden quirk and probably still wanted payback for showing him up during the ball throw.

 

"You know...You look really odd like that." Uraraka spoke up before flailing about as she realized what she said. “Not in a bad way or anything! I just mean the one glove on, one glove off look is…”

 

“Oh.” The boy said, looking down at his arms. His right had a big white glove around it but his left was free. “Well, that because I have no idea if the glove would get in the way of the mark. I told you yesterday about how I’m still new to it. If were doing combat training probably better not to risk it.”

 

“Oh I get it.” The girl nodded with a smile. “By the way, I really like your costume, its super cool!”

 

“A-Ahh, uh I uh Thanks, haha!” The boy said nervously, scratching his head as she looked away, focusing on the buildings floor plan they had gotten from All Might. “You-you too!”

 

“Eh, t-this is nothing special, I just put down the first thing that came to mind really. Wish they hadn’t assumed I wanted it skintight though.” The girls said with a light blush. “You think they really expect us to memorize this buildings floorplan? I mean its so big!”

 

"You know, All Might is just as cool in person as he is on television." Uraraka continued while Midoriya continued considering the millions of ways he was royally screwed walking into this building. “I’m glad he’s not threatening us with some kind of punishment like mister Aizawa, we can relax-AHH YOU’RE SWEATING THROUGH YOUR COSTUME!”

 

“Ah.uh…well….its just…” The boy started nervously but slowly his speech came back to him. “It’s just, because we’re up against Kacchan. Plus there’s Iida too. We should be on our guard, who knows what they’ll pull.”

 

“Oh right, Bakugou.” The girl said, a slight disdain creeping into her tone when she said the blonde’s name. “He’s the one who’s always making fun of you.”

 

“And he’s amazing.” The greenette admitted. “He can be royal pain sure, but he also has amazing strength and confidence, his ambition and not to mention his quirk. They’re all so much greater than mine.”

 

“I don’t know if I agree with all of that.” Uraraka said with a finger to her chin, as if in thought. “Your mark is so cool, if I had to choose between it or his explosion I would have choose that!”

 

The boy looked up at her in surprise and she smiled back warmly. The boy gave a small smile back and stood up, adjusting the mask to his face. “Thank you. Still though, I do think he’s so much more amazing, but that just means I have do even better. I refuse to lose today!”

 

“So it’s some fated battle between rivals?” The brunette asked with a smile and determined eyes.

 

“Oh, not that I’m trying to get you wrapped up in my fight or anything!” The boy quickly said, flailing his arms.

 

“Are you kidding? We’re a team and more importantly, you’re my friend! Let’s win this for you, Deku!” The girl said as her hands tightened into fists and a wide grin split across her face.

 

"Uraraka….” The boy tailed off, before a grin of his own appeared under his mask. “Right! Lets do this!”

 

The buzzer went off then, All Might’s voice declaring the exercise started.

 

"I can get up to that window there with Far Reach and pull you up as well.” The greenette told the girl.  “I only just learned yesterday I can pull people way over my own weight with it so getting us both in will be easy and will be a surprise to those two inside. I can also pull objects and use it to travel pretty fast, a bit like a bungee cord I can some on command. I retain my momentum, if that’s important. That’s everything I know about my Far Reach, I’ll be relying solely on that, considering what happens when I use my super strength.”

 

“Sounds like a plan!” The girl said, excited to be getting the full scoop on the boys power. “I can float anything so long as it’s under three tons, if I go over that I get really nauseous fast. Also floating myself takes way more effort than floating other people or items and makes me nauseous as well so we should probably avoid any plans that involve floating me.”

 

“Right!” The boy nodded, turning and lifting his left hand up too aim for the window. “One last thing, both Iida and Bakugou will probably really hard to capture considering their quirks and determination. We should focus mainly on trying to recover the weapon. Now let’s hurry, we’re on a time limit. You ready?”

 

He heard a noise of affirmation from behind him and the boy closed his eyes to take a breath before he leapt into action. While his eyes were shut however he felt a sudden gust of powerful wind start blowing over his face and when he opened his eyes, he found the buildings surrounding the one before had disappeared and the one before him seemed to be in the process of exploding yet frozen.

 

In his surprise from the sudden change of scenery he moved his hand and accidentally set off his power, the tentacle grabbed onto and threw the boy head first into it before he fell unceremoniously back to the ground.

 

“Owww….” The boy groaned as he slowly sat back up, not registering the ghostly laugh not too far away. This place felt familiar but as far as he knew he’d never been here before. The sky was an empty grey and the ground beneath him had become solid rock. The rock only stretched a little past any side of the building.

 

The boy then started searching for his teammate and almost screamed when he saw where she had been standing previously there was now a solid black marble statue with her feature son it. The boy ran to it immediately but before he could say anything a voice….no THE voice spoke up behind him.

 

**"Your worries are nothing to be concerned about, she is not actually here. Normally I’d only people into the void in their sleep so I could take them to any part of it but there are some circumstances pertaining to the necessity of this particular visit, though you probably don’t remember them.”**

 

“You…You’re the voice that’s been in my head!” Midoriya shouted in surprise. The black-eyed man grinned in a way that made him seem really creep.

 

 **"Well yes I am but that’s not all I’ve been.”** The man said before immediately switching subjects, walking towards the building as if to inspect it.

 

 **“Limitations are an interesting thing. A very human thing, as a god, it can be easy to forget about what mortals can’t do. Of course, even I have limits. I have of course been watching your progress, as I do so like to observe. But I would not normally get as involved inside your head as I have been. This place, the void, it’s so much older and stranger than you will ever be able to comprehend. Older than even me.”** The man suddenly disappeared in a shower of black crystals and reappeared by the Uraraka statue, placing a hand on top it for support as he looked at Midoriya, causing the boy to shiver. Just who was this guy?! Why did his presence feel familiar?

 

**“It was not always anchored to this world, for a long time its influence remained elsewhere. Due to extreme circumstances I had to find a way to move this place myself, not an easy to task even for someone with my powers...” The man took a moment to observe the never-ending distance of ‘the void’ as he called it. ”My voice in your head has been a side-effect of my plan. You are what is grounding the void to your own world for now Midoriya, by carrying that mark. I need to keep a closer eye on you than I would most my marked.”**

 

‘So that’s where this came from?!’ The boy thought in surprise. Without warning, in that moment a rush of memories swarmed his mind and he clutched his head. It was not a pleasant experience. But now….he remembered everything. “Outsider…..Wait hang on! If you moved here from a different world then why did you act like you were always here when we first met?”

”

**“Hmm, the blocks disappeared then.”** The man mused. He teleported one last time, appearing before the boy. **“Would you really have believed I was a god if I said I simply wasn’t from here before? Perhaps a bit manipulative but you understand I needed to give my mark to someone and I would prefer it be someone interesting such as you. As for my voice in your head, spending so long alone in this place, you start holding conversations with yourself to pass the time. This led me to the habit of speaking aloud, that’s what the passing comments in your head have been. I guided you with your initial power, due to the odd nature of its manifestation compared to others who have bared my mark but It’s certainly not quite as fun giving you answers of course, so after this visit the rest of your powers you must figure out on your own, maybe with some limited hints depending on how I feel.”**

 

The black-eyed man looked behind himself. **“Life is nothing but choices, big and small. While the one you make today certainly isn’t as interesting as some others I’ve seen it will say something about you. Beat the villains or silently recover the weapon and ensure the safety of it. This is the first choice, and I can assure it won’t be the last.”**

 

The boy felt a pressure on his body as the world of the void slowly dissipated around him. **“One last thing, be careful you don’t go overboard, it could be really bad for your eyes.”**

 


	7. The Exercise.

 

 

Midoriya cringed as his Uraraka’s footsteps reverberated off the walls. Neither of their costumes were designed with stealth in mind. The green and pink colours would stand out like sore thumbs against the buildings harsh greys. His shoes at least weren’t hard to mask thanks to the rubber soles but Uraraka’s stabilizers were made of solid plastic so she was much louder.

 

After his frustratingly vague and mostly one-sided conversation he had started looking at this exercise from an angle other than pure combat. Why risk a fight with two people who would be so much better at fighting when they could sneak past entirely?

 

The dark long halls could be an advantage at a distance where it not for the brightness of their costumes. The halls were narrow and long, there were no ledges he could use for a higher vantage.

 

“Careful, there’s a lot of blind spots.” The greenette half-whispered back to his teammate. He stared up at the roof and the length of the hallway, if he was going to figure out how he could use Far Reach in this environment safely he’d have to do it now. “Hang on I’m going to try something, be ready in case it ends up being too loud if I mess up.”

 

“Ok!” The girl said with a firm nod as the boy aimed his left hand towards the roof. He could feel different amounts of pressure in his hand depending on if he’d be able to reach or not he’d found out yesterday. Using the pressure he had learned how to visualize a kind of marker and right now that marker couldn’t reach quite up to the roof however it was close, he could use the wall! ‘Lets try this.’

 

The feeling of his hand being wrapped around in tendrils that was quickly becoming familiar to him he felt yet again and he watched as the purple tentacle shot out fast, latching onto the wall before he felt the sensation of being pulled off his feet into the air.

 

It took less than a second to cross the entire hall, he heard Uraraka whisper-shout something that sounded like ‘Nice!’ He motioned to the girl to join him and after waiting for a moment she was beside him again. It was good to know he had a way to get around quickly if need be then.

 

'If we do run into Kacchan what can we do to escape? I still have basically no control over One for All so a head-to-head fight could be suicide and even if I did try a one hundred percent smash It could kill someone. I have to rely on Uraraka’s zero gravity and what I know about Far Reach and the notes I’ve spent so long collecting. If I could get Kacchan off his feet for just a moment and Uraraka floated him…..No, that wouldn’t work, he’d still be able to move about with his explosions, dammit! Maybe if I could reach higher ground just for a moment without him seeing me, I could use the momentum from the fall to knock him out? Seems too risky, so I guess not. What about if-‘

 

The greenette didn't get more time to consider how to proceed as Bakugou flew out from the corner, turning in the air aiming for both of them. The greenette reacted on instinct, dodging and jumping towards Uraraka, pulling her towards the ground with him. “Uraraka, you okay?!”

 

“Im fine, thanks!” The girl said, coughing slightly from the sudden smoke. Midoriya scowled as it cleared, showing the crater in the wall left by Bakugou’s attack. The blonde boy barely even looked fazed. The right side of the greenette’s face had been exposed in the fight. “Deku!”

 

“Its’s just a mask.” The boy assured her. ‘Dammit, I still don’t have a plan yet!’

 

"I knew you'd come at me first, you’d try to catch me by surprise. You want payback for the ball throw.” The greenette explained why he was unfazed. Unfortunately Bakugou wasn’t someone he could keep distracted by talking, as the blonde started charging at him! ‘Look out for his right hook!’

 

“I won’t hurt you so bad they have to end the fight! Just close!” The blonde exclaimed with a malicious grin, pulling his right arm back and throwing a punch. ‘Now!’

 

Without another thought the shorter of the two boys rushed forward, wrapping the explosive boy in an awkward hug. One of his arms wrapped around the blonde’s gauntlet while the other wrapped around his chest.  He could feel the momentum still from the blonde’s charge as he started to pull up over his own head as he turned around.

 

The greenette let out a shout, physical enhancements or not, Kacchan was heavy. The boy watched as the blonde smashed into the ground on his back, briefly bouncing back into the air. The blonde didn’t make any quick moves to get back up.

 

“Kacchan…” The greenette breathed out as the blonde slowly started to rise. “You always use a big right hook to start a fight, I know because I’ve watched you for years! I analyzed every amazing hero, even you! I wanted to learn everything I could about them, even if I had no way of replicating them because I needed to know to survive. It was all in the notebook you burned and threw away.”

 

_“-but you know what? I like Deku, it’s like ‘I can do it!’ I think it would make a great hero name!”_

“You can call me Deku, but I’m not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore! You hear me?! FROM NOW ON DEKU IS THE NAME OF A HERO!” The greenette shouted, as his emotions got the better of him for a moment. Out the corner of the boy’s vision he could see Uraraka’s eyes widen in surprise behind her visor however he had to focus on the blonde, as he had finally gotten back on his feet and was glaring daggers at him. The greenette cursed how his body was shaking, giving away how he really felt.

 

"Deku…" The boy growled as he hunched over, his hands making claws as the palms started to glow and some sparks started igniting. “Your shaking in your boots, you’re so scared! But you want to fight me anyway, THAT’S WHY I HATE YOU!”

 

The greenette didn't have time to reply as he suddenly put a finger to his ear, his look of hatred briefly morphing into one of annoyance. “Just shut up and defend the weapon! I’ve got more important things to worry about.”

 

The blonde continued to angrily yell into the earpiece, apparently getting into an argument with Iida. Midoriya took his chance while they argued to pull out the capture All Might had given him before the exercise from his pouch. ‘I still don’t have much of a plan but I can’t let that stop me now.’

 

The greenette didn't have any more time to think as the blonde threw a hand behind him and rocketed towards the boy using his quirk, his leg prepared for a kick. “Uraraka! GO!”

 

Time seemed to slow as the blonde rocketed towards him, the smaller boy threw up his arm up to block the incoming kick, while letting the capture tap unravel while falling through the air, catching it with his other hand.. ‘Now!’

 

“Ballsy move! Think you can take me alone?!” The explosive boy asked snidely. The greenette however didn’t answer, instead focusing on the blonde’s attacks. He had started wrapping the capture tape around the blonde’s leg when he finally noticed. ‘Hero notebook number 10, page 18, Eraserhead! Luckily I got to see his moves in action. What will Kacchan do now? Knowing him he’ll be impatient and try another big punch!’

 

Just like the boy thought, the explosive teen went for a punch. The greenette dodged, rolling across the ground as he heard the wall behind where he had just been standing explode. ‘I was right! He’s not pulling any punches, not that I expected any less.’

 

As the greenette panted, he continued to analyze the blonde. ‘He kicked first this time, he’s switching things up so I can’t predict his moves. Does that mean he’s worried?’

 

The blonde’s hand shot behind him, ready to propel him. Midoriya scowled and ran off down the hallway he was beside, trying to create some distance. ‘He’s completely focused on me, so Uraraka is free to find Iida. I need to stay away for now until I can come up with a plan to beat Kacchan!’

 

“Get back here Deku!” He heard the blonde shout in surprise and anger. He didn’t hear in explosions though, did his sudden retreat catch the boy off guard? The marked boy shook his head, it didn’t matter why! He just had to be thankful Kacchan didn’t because it put him at an advantage. The greenette shot his left arm forward without aiming so he could increase the distance between the two faster. ‘I can’t risk any more close-range encounters, I need to figure out a plan. Think, is there anything you don’t know about Explosion?!’

 

The greenette saw his opportunity as he entered a maze of hallways, disappearing into the one and continuing to run. He could hear the explosions behind him as Bakugou followed, but now they echoed and he had no idea if they were close or far because of the acoustics of where he choose. ‘Crap, that’s not good.’

 

As the boy hid in the corner of one of the halls, he heard the blonde’s shout. “DAMMIT! YOU WERE TRICKING ME FOR YEARS BY ACTING WEAK! BET YOU’VE BEEN LAUGHING BEHIND MY BACK, HUH! WHERE’S THAT FLASHY POWER OF YOURS NOW?! LET’S SEE HOW IT COMPARES TO MINE! QUIRK OR NO YOU’LL NEVER BEAT ME DEKU! “

 

The greenette flinched and clutched the wall slightly, a wave of guilt washing over him. ‘Kacchan…’ Then the boy’s eyes widened in surprise as he realized what he had been stupidly forgetting, his advantage over the blonde. ‘Dang it! I’ve been focusing so much on Bakugou’s quirk and what I know about it. I should be focusing on what he DOESN’T know about mine!’

 

Finally, the boy had a plan. He flinched as he heard an explosion and a loud clattering. ‘Did he just blow a door in?!’ Again the greenette cursed his luck as the blonde’s footsteps reverberated throughout the whole hall. Why did he have to pick the one place where he couldn’t tell how close the blonde was?!

 

The greenette let out an almost inaudible growl. ‘Dammit if I just knew where he was I could start putting my plan into motion!’ The boy unclenched his left hand from a fist and waved it around, mostly trying to remove the heat he was experiencing in his hero costume, wishing he could see through walls instead of having super-strength he couldn’t use cause of what would happen to his bones.

 

The greenette blinked, when he opened his eyes he was in for a major surprise. ‘WHAT THE?!’

 

His vision now had a sepia like tone, the black walls now looking a light beige instead. He fell backwards surprise, accidentally colliding with the wall, making a relatively loud thud. The boy turned, worried he had alerted the nearby blonde but to his surprise, instead of seeing an angry kacchan flying through the air all he saw was three traveling white lines that seemed to be fading. When the sound finally stopped, the lines dissipated. ‘Was that…?!’

 

The greenette tapped the wall lightly, seeing much smaller but similar lines moving around, once again disappearing as the sound stopped. ‘I can see sound?’

 

As it turned out that was not all the boy could see, as in the hall just beyond his normal vision suddenly a big yellow human-shaped blob appeared. It had two tiny white pinpricks near the top and a white cone of light seemed to beam out of them. However what caught the boy’s attention was the two massive round shapes near where the hands would be. ‘Wait is that Kacchan!?’

 

The boy got his confirmation as the blonde called out, sounding extremely close even despite the reverb. “Come out now Deku and maybe I’ll go easy on you!”   

 

Recalling his moment of wishing he could see through the wall the boy almost gave away his position by shouting in surprise as he realized what happened. ‘Ok, calm down, it’s just ANOTHER power, not the end of the world. Not normal but neither was Far Reach and you figured that out well enough… Well ok technically you freaked out until the Outsider gave you some indication to what it was and still continued being freaked out but tomato, tamato. Is it from the mark or One for All though, this power?’

 

Finally the greenette recalled the words of the outsider during his ‘visit’.

 

“ ** _So after this visit the rest of your powers you must figure out on your own.”_**

****

The boy wanted to slap himself, he should have realized then and there that something was going to happen. He had been distracted by the pain in his head of his memories coming back and focusing on the fight but he still should have picked up on that. He was an idiot!

 

The marked boy shook his head. Whether he should have realized or not it was happening now, he had unlocked a new power, one that could be much safer to figure out in the midst of battle than Far Reach. He saw the yellow silhouette of Kacchan getting close. ‘With this power, I can implement my plan even more effectively than before!’

 

The glow stopped and his vision returned to normal, causing the boy to look around in shock. ‘A time limit? Crap! Ok, I can still use this. Kacchan will be here any minute now, so be quick, once you do this what do you know? I can’t go after the weapon with Kacchan following me. If I bring him back to Uraraka we’d run out of time before we beat him. But there’s a way, where we barely need to fight at all, so long as I’m smart about this.’

 

Finally, the boy started to walk out. Just before he rounded he had one last thought ‘Kacchan, every last thing I’ve said about not trying to compete with you…I take it all back.’

 

The greenette stepped out calmly, making no move to make any attacks or get closer. “Were you being serious about going easier on me?”

 

“Yeah right! NOW IM GOING TO KILL YOU!” The blonde yelled in his usual angry tone. Midoriya couldn’t help it, he smiled.

 

“That’s what I thought!” The boy replied, summoning his Far Reach and throwing it right at Bakugou. ‘He knows next to nothing about Far Reach so he shouldn’t be keen to let it hit him. Which means….’

 

Much like the greenette was expecting, the blonde’s eyes widened in surprise and he set off a massive explosion at the appendage trying to destroy it, creating a massive black smokescreen around himself. At that same moment Midoriya let the massive tentacle disappear and waved his hand, trying to summon the power from before, trying to replicate his emotions and gestures. ‘Come on, let me see through walls or whatever got you to activate!’

 

In an instance, like a pulsing wave he saw everything change in color, the sepia tones returning and Bakugou’s yellow silhouette shined through the smoke. The greenette grinned and immediately lifted his hand up, aiming higher up the walls and firing off Far Reach. ‘I don’t have time to be glad about my powers working, I need to keep moving!’

 

As the greenette soared through the air, he kept an eye on the blonde beneath him, the white pinpricks and cone following him. ‘Are those his eyes?! The cones smaller than before, which would makes sense if that’s his field of vision. He can’t see exactly what’s happening, he’s only seeing the movement of the smoke and my shadow among it.’

 

As the greenette landed he took off in a sprint, he looked back to see the smoke clearing. Kacchan was looking right at him, royally pissed off. “DEKU YOU FUCKER, GET BACK HERE COWARD!”

 

The greenette rounded the corner and immediately fired off Far Reach again while the blonde couldn’t see him. ‘I need to make sure Kacchan doesn’t see me travelling using Far Reach at all. If he does then we’re screwed. We’re on the third floor, from the map All Might gave us, just around this next corner there should be a massive empty room.’

 

“Deku, I found the bomb on the 4th floor!” He suddenly heard Uraraka in his ear panicking, causing him to flinch. “But Iida found me!”

 

'Crap!’ Midoriya cursed. If Uraraka was captured, he’d lose a massive ally. His plan, while still possible without her would be a lot less likely to succeed if anything went wrong after she was caught. From the boy’s mental count, there were only 7 minutes left of the match. “Don’t focus on the weapon, just don’t get caught for now. I have a plan but I need a little more time. Stay calm.”

 

The boy let go off the earpiece as he finally saw the room he was looking for with Bakugou a sizeable distance behind him. As the boy rushed in he slammed the door shut behind him, loud enough to attract Bakugou. The boy looked up and so, much to his relief that there were metal bars holding the roof together. Activating Far Reach once more he scaled up the bars and waited.

 

It didn’t take long for the blonde to arrive, however he didn’t explode the door open like he did others, and he rushed in and closed the door behind him calmly with a malicious grin. “Stupid move, Deku now your trapped in here with me and only one exit. You aren’t going to get away from me again!”

 

The greenette fired off his Far Reach, deliberately shooting it slightly to the side of Bakugou, getting his attention. The blonde looked up and smirked, an evil glint in his eyes. “You missed!”

 

In an instant, an explosion happened under the blonde and he was airborne, not too far from Midoriya. He flew across the air and Midoriya took his chance, the blonde would expect a quirk retaliation which meant he had to choose a different route.

 

The greenette leaped into the air towards the blonde, causing said boy to widen his eyes in surprise as the greenette started to fall towards him, delivering a swift kick that the blonde blocked. When he blocked however, he stopped making explosions throwing him off-balance and the two fell.

 

Midoriya grabbed onto the bars while the blonde stopped his fall by setting to explosions off. The greenette didn’t allow the blonde to regain his bearings, firing off Far Reach yet again, this time aiming to make sure the tendril grabbed this time.

 

Before it was able to connect though the blonde fired off an explosion throwing him away from the tentacle. The greenette however was unfazed, he hadn’t let the power dissipate this time and swung it around towards the blonde like a whip.

 

The blonde had to set of multiple explosions, firing him all around the room, dodging the tendril before flying straight towards the boy controlling it. “JUST DIE ALREADY!”

 

The power dissipated at last and Midoriya stepped off his perch, allowing himself to fall through the air. The blonde followed after him, rocketing towards the boy, getting closer and closer until…

 

“NOW YOUR FUCKED DEKU!” The blonde practically screamed with a manic grin and insane look in his eyes. The greenette did his best to ignore it as he raised his left hand once more, his power surging forth and wrapping around the blonde.

 

As the two fell, Midoriya put all his strength into twisting the two around in the air, hurling the blonde down into the ground. As he continued to fall he aimed and landed with both feet going into the blonde’s stomach before jumping back and rolling away.

 

As the greenette stood, he watched the blonde get up slowly, slower than usual. He must have been winded with that last attack. The blonde just seemed to stare for a moment but then his gauntlet glowed, attracting both boys attention.

 

The blonde smirked while the greenette looked on curious. The blonde lifted his fist. “I’m all loaded up.”

 

“What does that mean?” The smaller boy asked, though he had a fairly good idea. He wasn’t sure whether it was a massive problem or an unforeseen blessing.

 

“Why haven’t you come at me at 100% yet? You haven’t shown that strength you did in the tests!” The blonde’s eyes seemed to shrink to pinpricks as a haunting smile graced his features. “Don’t tell me you’re underestimating me Deku! Why don’t you man up and show me what you’re really made of!”

 

“Kacchan…” The greenette started, his eyes hardening into a determined stare. “I’m not afraid of you anymore!”

 

The blonde’s smile quickly morphed into an angry frown before lifting back again into a smiling. The explosive teen aimed his hand with the gauntlet that had glowed before at him.

 

“Since you’re such a damn stalker, you probably know by now how my quirk, explosion, works. How it’s my sweat causing the explosions. And this gauntlet has been storing it all up for one big blast! None of your stupid notes or that fucking tentacle can stop it!”

 

Both the boys could hear All Might in their ears as Bakugou prepared to fire it at him. “DON’T YOUNG BAKUGOU! YOU’LL KILL HIM!”

 

“He’ll be fine as long as he dodges!” The blonde said back. Seeing he was not going to back down, Midoriya felt panic rising, he had to make a choice now, either he dodged like the blonde said, which is what he wanted or…..

 

The greenette summoned Far Reach and swung it out way to the side of the blonde, swinging it towards the blonde full force much to his surprise. “THAT BLAST ISN’T GOING OFF AT ALL!”

 

It was a bluff, baiting the blonde. He knew he didn’t have the power to do anything to that blast if it fired but Bakugou didn’t! The explosive boy swung his gauntlet around towards the incoming tentacle. “IM GETTING RID OF THIS STUPID FUCKING THING FOR GOOD!”

 

Finally the blast fired, the tentacle flailing way back before dissipating. The blast didn’t care and continued to destroy the wall on the other side of the room, kicking up a massive black cloud surrounding the two boys. ‘Finally, now’s my chance!”

 

His placement hadn’t been random when he had landed, he had purposefully kept lined up with the door, just slightly to the side. Now he got lined up while the blonde was still reeling and blinded from his own blast. Far Reach flew through the air, wrapping around the handle of the door and yanking it open hard, causing a bang. The tentacle dissipated once more and Midoriya silently took cover behind a nearby pillar that had survived the blast.

 

The small boy activated his vision power for the final time. He could see the explosive teen recovering and sprinting to the door. He took the bait! “GET BACK HERE DEKU, WE’RE NOT DONE!”

 

The greenette let out a sigh and made sure to wait a few moments, he had been lucky, the room he choose was just underneath the room with the bomb, he could see two yellow silhouettes above, one smaller one barely avoiding a larger and much faster one. Listening to the blonde’s footsteps disappear along with his yellow silhouette. ‘Probably only four or five minutes left, I need get to Uraraka and Iida now!”

 

The greenette got up and rushed to the window leading outside. The whole reason he had come here was to get the blonde off his trail and escape out the window. Now he knew which floor and even better which room he could use the outside of the building to climb. With Bakugou on a fruitless search for him, he opened the window and climbed out, looking for the windows he could climb in.

 

When he saw the ledges, he realized he’d have to jump and turn in the air. The greenette looked to see the drop, it wasn’t deadly but it would hurt ‘Ok, don’t panic, if you can lift All Might’s body weight, you can do this.’

 

Midoriya pushed off the building and jumped, turning like he planned and trying to fire Far Reach. This time however the tentacle didn’t come, leaving him to plunge to the ground. ‘CRAP, WHAT?!’

 

The boy then realized how much he’d actually kept the tentacle manifested in that fight, he was tired from it so his body wasn’t letting it activate! ‘CrapcrACRAPCRAP! What the hell do I do?!’

 

The boy recalled the plan he had come up with at the exam and how Bakugou had avoided colliding with the ground in their fight. He remembered All Might telling him how One for All was more powerful in him than it should be. He wasn’t at risk of dying here so he just had to give it a shot.

 

The greenette put his fingers together on his left hand and aimed at the ground, summoning One for All into his finger. He flicked his finger and the ground beneath him suddenly exploded from the pressure, rocketing him back up the way. He didn’t feel the pain in his finger and stole a quick look, seeing it uninjured. ‘Recovery Girl’s theory was right then! I better use this while I still can!’

 

The boy aimed another flick at the window he had been intending to climb up to before, sending another smash at it. The wall caved in and he could see Iida and Uraraka look back in shock, Iida in the midst of rushing at the heroine-in-training.

 

Midoriya aimed one final flick behind him, angling it so it propelled him right towards the room, in no time at all he was rolling across the floor and into an upright position. Iida was still moving in to attack Uraraka, unable to alter his course. ‘Perfect!’

 

“URACHAN!” The boy shouted, flinging his left hand forwards and summoning Far Reach. Now he knew he had reached his limit he could force it to appear anyway, but it hurt. The fingers in his hands finally breaking didn’t help. The tentacle flew through the air and wrapped around the tall boy’s leg. “JUMP!”

 

The greenette yanked back hard as the girl did what he said. The engine-quirk wielder fell over into the ground, his engines still running sending him right into the wall on the other side of the room. The gravity girl was floating In the air towards the weapon, she must of used her quirk during the jump. As she touched it, a loud explosion sounded behind Midoriya.

 

“DEKU!” Came the unmistakable screech of Bakugou but before the blonde could get close enough to do anything, All Might’s voice was heard over the radio.

 

“THE HERO TEAM WINS!”

 

The four teens froze. Uraraka sat down to take a breather with a look of relief on her face. Iida sat against the wall he had smashed into, feeling defeated but also happy that it was the ‘good’ guys who prevailed. Bakugou seethed in rage, sparks igniting from his hand. However Midoriya just felt tired and nothing else, in fact a a nap sounded great right about.

 

And with that final thought, Midoriya passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is now my longest story, sitting at 112 pages, 683 paragraphs, 2812 lines, 26146 words and 116090 characters. yay ^-^


	8. After the Excercise

Midoriya groaned as his eyes slowly fluttered open and he took in his surroundings. Looking around he saw the familiar interior of the school infirmary and he could hear All Might’s voice not too far away.

 

"-e’s ended up here again.” The exhausted teen only heard the end of the number one hero’s sentence. As the boy slowly rose up from his bed he saw the skinny form of his mentor talking to Recovery Girl, who looked ticked off.

 

"All Might? Recovery Girl?” The boy asked, his voice sounding as tired as he felt. The two heroes looked over clearly surprised.

 

"You’re awake.” The blonde said, walking over and taking a seat beside the bed the greenette was in. Recovery girl had also gotten up and was checking some equipment around him. “How’re you feeling?”

 

“Honestly, really tired. What happened? Last thing I remember I was fighting Kacchan in that big room.” The boy said, clutching his head which felt as if it was throbbing lightly. Did he have a headache?

 

"You don't remember?" Midoriya just shook his head at the question and immediately regretted it, hissing slightly. “Woah hey take it easy! We still don’t really know what happened.”

 

“I have a pretty darn good idea though.” Recovery Girl muttered, discontented. “You had better tell him what happened All Might, instead of risking putting more strain on him.”

 

And so the blonde did, explaining every detail of the small boy’s stunt he had pulled. When he finished a wide smile formed on the skinny man’s face. “While the finger flicks were a bit more on the insane side I want you to know I’m proud of you young Midoriya. Had your Far Reach not failed you perhaps would have won without Iida aware of your presence at all. Your fight with Bakugou embody the most important part of any fight, avoiding one. Had it not been for me helping you learn how to train Far Reach I would have thought you’d had it for years!”

 

The greenette smiled slightly while the nurse stood up on a chair to be eye level with him. “I certainly can’t say I’m happy you’re a regular patient but I suppose in that particular situation it couldn’t be help. For the love of quirks though please be more careful from now on.”

 

“Sorry Recover-AGHH!” The boy cut himself off with a shout of pain as he accidentally tapped his finger against the metal bar of his bed. Looking down he saw it bandaged but it still felt sore. Not as bad as the previous times he remembered hurt himself but was still sore.

 

“What did I just say? I wasn’t able to heal your body, and still can’t yet If you’re tired. I know you used your power enough that your body tired out and stopped your power working. That plus your reckless plan using One for All and It’s no wonder you passed out.” The smaller heroine chided him. All Might put his hand to his chin as if in thought.

 

"I’m not so sure about that. I saw your limits in that warehouse. You passed out way to quickly for it to just be tiredness from using Far Reach too much. Did anything happen in there I might not have seen?”

 

The greenette sighed, resting his head against the wall behind him before his eyes shot open wide. ‘Crap! I know what I did wrong!’

 

“All Might….” The greenette started, lifting his left hand and looking at it. “Do you remember how you thought It was a quirk? The mark?”

 

“It is a quirk? Didn’t we already agree about that?” The blonde asked confused before suddenly coughing up blood. “Wait don’t tell me you think it’s something different?!”

 

Recovery Girl looked on intrigued. Midoriya shook his head. “Ok, I won’t tell you I think it’s not a quirk because I KNOW it’s not a quirk.”

 

“Well this sounds like there’s a story to it.” Recovery Girl thought aloud. The small boy cringed slightly and tried not to fidget with his bad finger as he looked up at All Might.

 

“Promise you won’t freak out until I’m finished at least?” The greenette pleaded. All Might’s gaze hardened but he nodded slightly. “It was back during the day we first met, just before you saved me from that slime villain.”

 

And so the boy regaled the tale of his visit from the Black-eyed man, how he called himself a god named ‘The Outsider’ and offered the boy powers. How the boy thought that it was his only option unless he wanted to die and how the god had removed his memories until just earlier that day. Finally he told the two heroes about his discovery of his new power in the middle of the exercise and how the ‘Outsider’ had given him a vague warning about not over-doing it lest he hurt his eyes.

 

“You have another power?!” All Might asked surprised before chuckling despite the situation. “Holy crap kid you’re never satisfied are ya? That’s uh…..”

 

“Quite the story.” The healing heroine finished the skinny man’s thought for him. Midoriya just sighed and looked away.

 

“I get it if you don’t believe me-”

 

“No, I do.” The blonde quickly assured him. “I’ve genuinely heard weirder, not by much but I have. I know you, you’re not one to lie about this kind of thing. Still that someone can grant powers like that…”

 

The greenette looked up. All Might almost seemed reminiscent, though not of any fond memories. “I have no idea what kind of drain that vision power could have, that’s probably why when I combined it with the overuse Far Reach and One for All I passed out. He never told me of any limit to the powers I might unlock, the outsider I mean. For all I know 20 more could be on the way. This new one is easy to hide but new ones could be a lot harder and if I have no idea of what will activate them the first time… how do I hide them?”

 

"Don't" The blonde answered without hesitation, causing the green-eyed boy to look up shocked. “If the powers are coming from the mark then there’s not really any exposure risk, in fact it would probably lower the risk. Your classmates might get a little jealous, but well….you’re a unique case now. I’ll go talk with the principal and Aizawa as soon as I’m done here.”

 

“Thank you….” Midoriya said before hearing a tutting come from Recovery Girl.

 

“It’s a darn good thing you’ll have more powers, then I won’t need to worry about you being a regular here!” She said. “Now you get back to sleep, you still need rest! All Might, you had best go see Nezu and Aizawa right away, I think they’re both in the principal’s office.”

 

“Right.” All might bowed slightly then turned to Midoriya. “I’ll see you later Young Midoriya!”

 

“Bye All Might.” The boy replied before setting his head down on his pillow as he heard the door to the infirmary open and close. He would’ve tried to wander around a bit first but he had a feeling Recovery Girl would be pretty unhappy with him if he did. It didn’t take long for his eyes to start feeling heavy.

 

Before long the boy drifted off, dreaming about spending a day out with Iida and Uraraka.

 

~~~~ 

 

Midoriya yawned as he wandered down the hall to his classroom as he thought about what the nurse had told him before he was dismissed.

 

_The boy had woken up late in the afternoon and had still felt exhausted, though he certainly had more energy than last time he woke up._

 

“ _You’re still far too tired for my quirk to be safe to use. Don’t put too much strain on that finger for the rest of the day. I recommend going straight to bed once you get home. On the bright side, it’s healing faster than expected. Maybe that’s another thing that mark of yours does, would explain why you’re still so tired.” Recovery girl told him as she gently bandaged his finger._

_“You think so?” The boy asked surprised at the observation._

_“It’s possible and if it’s true, then you won’t be able to use my quirk when you really hurt yourself. Now you be careful! I don’t want to see you in here for the rest of the week!” The nurse said, shooing him out the room._

The greenette sighed as he saw his classroom come into sight. ‘I missed all my afternoon classes. Mister Aizawa is probably going to choke me with my scarf. At least my memory came back in my sleep.’

 

The boy stifled another yawn as he opened the door. When he walked in he seemed to attract everyone’s attention.

 

“Hey, It’s Midoriya!” one red-headed teen called out before a crowd suddenly surrounded him. “Good to see you back, sneaky. I have no idea what you were saying in that match but you were amazing to watch! I didn’t think it was possible to make retreating look so cool!”

 

“I can’t believe you held your own against Bakugou when you did have to fight! That dudes as strong as you are smart!” A boy with jet black hair said.

 

“Those dodges were amazing! That tentacle is so cool!” A girl with curly pink hair and pink skin exclaimed.

 

"You guys really set the bar high in your round so we all made sure to do out bests as well." A bulkier boy with tan skin and brown hair said.

 

“You weren’t the most elegant bu-“ “Seriously what is that tentacle?! It seems so useful!” A blonde boy in one of the front desk had started to speak but the pink girl had cut over him. All the greenette could do was look between everyone in shock as he felt a light blush come on. He wasn’t used to getting this much praise.

 

"Hey I'm Eijirou Kirishima.” The red-haired boy introduced himself before pointing to the black haired boy behind him. “We’ve been going over training results while you were in the infirmary.”

 

“Heya, I’m Hanta Sero. Seriously well done on that ‘fight’.” The black haired boy said with a massive grin.

  
“More importantly I’m Yuga Ao-“ “I’m Mina Ashido! And I just gotta say you’re dodging and misdirection was so awesome!” Once again the blonde boy had started to speak before the pink girl had interrupted, flailing her arms about.

 

“Tsuyu Asui, but please call me Tsu.” Another girl peered out from behind the pink one. She was a normal color and had green hair, just a few shades darker than Midoriya’s own.

 

“Hey, Satou!” The bulky teen in the back said.

 

“Um….h-hey guys!” The greenette said, unsure of what to say to all the sudden attention. Another boy with purple ball-like hair who was probably only as tall as Midoriya’s knee jumped out in front of him catching them all off guard.

 

“And I’m Mineta!” He exclaimed. “Woah Where’d you come from?!”

 

Everyone broke down into conversation while not too far away Iida tired (and failed) to scold a boy with a bird head apparently called Tokoyami for sitting on a desk. ‘Iida never relaxes, huh?’

 

“-Do you say we grab a bite sometime? What’cha like?” A male voice came from the other side of the classroom. Looking over Midoriya saw a boy with blonde hair that had a black streak through it. With him was Uraraka.

 

“Anything sweet-DEKU!” The girl immediately cut herself off. once she noticed the boy. She rushed over with a look of concern on her face. “Are you ok?! You really scared me when you just passed out like that.”

 

“I’m sorry for scaring you Uraraka.” The boy apologized before he remembered the end of the exercise. “Oh, and sorry for calling you that name in the exercise, I just thought I had to shorten the sentence as much as possible with how fast Iida moves.”

 

“Nah, its ok! I actually like it, it’s cute.” She said, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side with a smile.  Midoriya tried his hardest not to let his blush show when his brain betrayed him and supplied the thought ‘Like you.’ “And you let me call you Deku, so it’s only fair.”

 

That did get the greenette to blush, and he really had to fight back his urge to flail his arms around like he normally did considering what he was supposed to not put too much pressure on his finger.

 

“So why didn’t she heal your finger?” Uraraka….Urachan asked. ‘Well that’s gonna take some getting used to.’

 

“Well it has to do with my stamina, it could kill me if I’m too tired when she uses her quirk.” Midoriya explained. Everyone around him seemed surprised at that. “As it is I’m honestly still super tired, It takes a lot out of me to keep Far Reach active like I did in that fight.”

  
“Oh is that why it failed when you tried to climb outside the building? We saw that mark of yours light up but nothing happened.” Kirishima asked and the boy nodded before looking around. He couldn’t see Kacchan anywhere in the room.

 

"Hey where's Kacchan?" He asked, continuing to survey the room in case he just didn’t see him.

 

“Bakugou? He left a few minutes before you showed up, he seems really angry. He’s probably near the gate by now.” Mina told him. Midoriya’s eyes widened and he turned around.

 

“I’ll be back!” The boy called behind him as he ran off. The blonde’s words from earlier in the day played over in his mind.

 

_“DAMMIT, YOU WERE TRICKING ME FOR YEARS! BET YOU’VE BEEN LAUGHING BEHIND MY BACK! WHERE’S THAT FLASH POWER OF YOURS NOW?!”_

 

He hopped one of the last flights of stairs and ran out the door into the long stretch of path was between the gate and the school. Just ahead he could see the explosive teen stalking towards the gate with his hands in his pockets. “KACCHAN! Wait up!”

 

The blonde froze, and almost looked as if he was shaking. He slowly turned around with a glare that could kill and growled out “What?!

 

The greenette flinched slightly but held his ground. He needed to tell the blonde the truth behind his powers, or at least most of them. “I need to tell you something. I know you hate me but please just listen for a couple minutes.”

 

“Why the hell should I?!” Bakugou turned around still glaring and set off a few small explosions in my hands. “After everything you’ve tricked me about why should I listen to a damn wor-“

 

“I didn’t trick you.” The greenette bit out, interrupting the explosive boy. Now he was really starting to look pissed off but Midoriya stood his ground, raising his marked hand to show it to the blonde. “Look at my left hand, Kacchan.”

 

The blonde didn’t say anything, just grunted discontentedly but he complied. The smaller boy started summoning Far Reach but didn’t let the tendril actually escape, as he didn’t know what it would do to his finger. Still he managed what he wanted to do as the mark glowed blue in response. “What the?!”

 

“You were there when it first showed up Kacchan, when I first found out about the mark. You know I was just as confused as you.” The greenette said before staring into the ground. “I had no Idea until recently that it was a quirk and I mean really recently. I only found out during the exam. I wasn’t trying to trick anyone, do you really think I’d hide finally having a quirk from all our classmates when it could have stopped them bullying me!?”

 

The blonde growled as more explosions set off, but he made no move to do anything. “Really you damn nerd?! You wouldn’t hide it? THEN WHY THE HELL DO YOU KEEP LOOKING DOWN ON ME DAMMIT?! WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU ACTUALLY TRY IN THE DAMN EXERCISE, WHY DIDN’T YOU COME AT ME AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT?!”

 

“That’s what you think?” Midoriya asked as he looked up, meeting the harsh gaze of the explosive boy with a glare of his own, still holding out his hand. “You Idiot! Look at my finger! That’s what happens if I use 100%, I can’t control the power output of my strength yet! I wasn’t going to use it at all but then Far Reach failed and I was gonna smash into the ground! I know you’re better than me, I can’t beat you in a head-to-head fight. I DID COME AT YOU AT MY STRONGEST, THE STRONGEST I CAN DO RIGHT NOW!”

 

The blonde let off another explosion, He seemed at a loss for words.

 

“You’re amazing, that’s why I wanted to beat you but…. I’d never be able to, you’re too strong…That’s why, I’m gonna learn to control this power, then I’m going to beat you for good.” Midoriya said as he clenched his good hand into a fist before his eyes widened. ‘Crap where did that come from!? I just meant to show him I wasn’t tricking him.’

 

"Dammit....You.....NEVER, I’LL NEVER LET YOU GET FUCKING CLOSE TO THAT POINT YOU BASTARD!” Bakugou suddenly exploded in rage, but in his eyes there was a hint of fear, as if he was worried about something. “DAMMIT! You already made a fucking fool out of me in that training exercise. So?! Did you come here to rub it in? I lost and to make matters worse it was to you! I may have come in first in the exam but that’s not enough! You aren’t the only one, dammit. When I was watching that Ice guy, I realized I couldn’t beat him in a head to head fight. CRAP, I even agreed with what that girl said, MY ATTACK WAS SO STUPID!”

 

Midoriya had completely lost track of what the ehck he was talking about at that point. ‘I guess he means Todoroki when he says ice guy but which girl is he on about?’

 

"DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT! Enjoy that fucking win Deku, I swear it’ll be the last you ever get!” The blonde screamed at him. “I’M JUST GETTING STARTED! GOT THAT?! I’M GOING TO END UP THE NUMBER ONE NO MATTER WHAT.”

 

The explosive boy had teared up at some point in his rant. He wiped away the tears as he turned and walked away. “I won’t let you beat me again you bastard, don’t even try.”

 

The greenette watched him walk away for a couple of moments before he let out a sigh of relief. ‘Why does dealing with Kacchan have to be so scary and stressful?’

 

"THERE YOU ARE.” A Familiar booming voice sounded out. A strong gust of wind almost knocked the smaller boy over before he saw the towering muscle form of All Might holding Bakugou by the shoulders. “Bakugou! I found you! Just so you know, pride is important attribute to have but while you certainly have the abilities to become a pro hero, there’s still plenty you have to learn.”

 

“Let go of me, All Might. Right now” The boy growled before looking back at the pro. “Save your speeches, I’ll be more famous than you and I’ll do it without your help.”

 

"Uhhh.....Right.” The man let go of the teen, clearly at a loss for words. The greenette ran to his mentor’s side as Bakugou walked off. ‘Kacchan’s fuse has been lit now, there’s a raging fire in him but… That doesn’t change what I have to do, I’ll keep chasing after him and one day.., I’ll beat him.’

 

"Midoriya, what were you saying to Bakugou before I arrived so heroically?” The blonde inquired. The boy looked up at him before looking to his mark.

 

“During the exercise, He thought I was tricking him. That I’d been hiding my power for years. I felt guilty, so I wanted to set the record straight” The boy explained and the blonde nodded.

 

“Understandable! It’s good that even despite your adversity you are willing to accommodate his feelings.” The muscular blonde said with a tone of approval. “Oh by the way, tomorrow just before lunch Aizawa will come to collect your from your class. He’ll take you to one of the gyms. We’ll need to test your new power first so we have the proper idea as to how we should approach this development.”

 

“Right!” Midoriya nodded his head as the two went back inside. Al Might took off in the direction of the teachers’ lounge leaving the boy alone. He was about to return to class but first…

 

“I know you’re still there.” The boy spoke up, looking around the empty room. “If you’re not gonna tell me how my powers work fine, but you could at least tell me the names of the powers.”

 

 **“Hm, yes I suppose that much I can do.”** The voice of The Outsider spoke inside his head, causing him to shudder. He didn’t think he’d ever get use to that. **“I believe the two who had this power before called it Dark Vision. Quite a dramatic name, though I wonder if it was really the best one.”**

Dark Vision…. Midoriya smiled slightly as he walked back to his class. Honestly, He liked the name.


	9. Dark Vision

Midoriya took a moment to catch his breath after he ran into the school building. A massive swarm of reporters had appeared outside the gate and he had been almost unable to make it past. He had been asked so many questions about All Might being a teacher that it was practically all he could hear in his head now.

“Midoriya?” He heard a gruff voice in front of him. Looking up he saw Aizawa staring at him, one eyebrow quirked up as if questioning him. “Why are you out of breathe?”

“There’s a lot of reporters outside trying to find out about All Might.” The boy explained, standing up straight. “It’s almost impossible to get past them just to get in.”

The scruffy tired teacher groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Get to class, Midoriya. I’ll go talk to them.”

The greenette spend a few moments watching his teacher make his way to the gat before the boy turned and made his way up the stairs. ‘Hopefully they’ll be gone by the time school finishes.’

 

~~~~

  
“Decent work on yesterday’s combat training exercises you guys.” Aizawa told the class as he shuffled through some papers in his hand. “I watched the video feeds and went over each of your teams results.”

“Bakugou.” The scruffy pro’s eyes flitted over to where the explosive blonde sat. “You’re talented. So don’t sulk like a child about your loss.”

"Yeah whatever.” The blonde dismissed the comment without much thought.

“And Midoriya.” The teacher continued as if he didn’t hear the blonde at all. The greenette tensed up. “You did well in the first half. Any good self-defense class will teach you that the most important part of any confrontation is avoiding the fight where possible. But you can’t always do that, especially in hero work. I see you still broke your finger to win. Work harder, and don’t give me the excuse you don’t have control over your strength, that lines already getting old. You can’t keep breaking your body while training here. However if you can get a handle on it, it will be really handy. So show some urgency, alright?”

"RIght!" The boy said, nodding his head with a smile of pride. Aizawa went onto give quick criticism and advice to everyone about their matches. When he finally finished the man put his papers down, he spoke up about the next important thing they needed to do. “Let’s get down to business our next task will decide your future.”

Everyone in the room tensed, worried about what it could be. ‘Another quirk test perhaps?’

"You all need to pick a class representative.”

And, after a sigh of relief, the room descended into chaos of people shouting they should be picked.

~~~~

  
Midoriya finished the last few equations on the board. Math’s today was as easy as it always was for the boy. Though clearly he was in the minority who found it that way. Looking around he saw the only people other than him who had finished were Iida, Bakugou, and a boy named Todoroki who had half white, half red hair. A girl with black hair that she had up in a ponytail called Yaoyorouzu looked like she was just finishing up as well.

The decision of who would be class rep had ended up being decided by a vote at Iida’s suggestion. All most everyone had voted for themselves and the few that didn’t…. Midoriya shuddered, somehow he had been picked as the class president. The idea of being responsible for everyone in his class made him shudder, he was barely able to hold a conversation with most of them!

The boy sighed as he stole a glance at the clock near the door of the classroom. There was still twenty minutes left of class. ‘Mister Aizawa will probably be here soon. I should probably go over what I know about Dark Vision, just in case.’

And that’s what the boy spend the next five minutes doing, not that there was really much for him to cover. All he knew was that he could see silhouettes through walls and visualize noise. That was about it. Not really much to go on.

A knock sounded on the door to the classroom drawing everyone's attention before their homeroom teacher walked in and nodded to their math’s teacher, ectoplasm, a pro hero with a cloning quirk and black glass-like skin.

“Sorry about the interruption.” The tired man said in a bored voice. He looked across the class, finding the greenette. “Midoriya, come on. The principal is waiting for us at gym gamma. The principal has asked you to come along as well Ecto, by the way”

The greenette closed his booklet and tucked in his chair before going to join his teachers at the front. Around him he heard his classmates muttering wondering why he was being took out the class early. Something which Aizawa once again quirked an eyebrow at.

“You haven’t told them yet?” The teacher asked with slight note of surprise. The smaller boy shook his head.

“I wanted to but I wasn’t sure if you and principal Nezu would want to talk with me first before I did.” The boy explained which caused even more muttering around him.

“Hmph, I understand. Well come on, best to not keep the principal waiting.” The scruffy man said, leading the boy out. The man quickly leant back into the classroom. “To quell any potential rumours you might come away with, the reason for this is that your classmate may have developed a new power.”

The tired pro closed the door and just a few moments later….

“WHAT?!” It was slightly muffled but Kacchan’s voice was still plenty loud and definitely not happy. The pro who had casually dropped the news on Midoriya’s classmates had a small creepy smile on his face, prompting the greenette to ask a question he normally wouldn’t.

“Sir? Did you tell them about my new power like that just to make them freak out?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow of his own.

“I have no idea what you could possibly mean by that.” The man said, but his smile got wider, making the boy doubt him. ‘Seriously, he’s so creepy when he smiles!’

On the other side of him he heard ectoplasm groan.

 

~~~~

  
Midoriya stared at the newly formed wall of cement before. His literature teacher, Cementoss, a hero who had the appearance of a large grey brick with limbs and facial features had been in the large gym hall with the short mouse-bear-dog creature that was the principal.

Once the boy had explained how his new power worked as far as he was aware, Nezu had explained they wanted the boy to do a quick exercise so they could understand how his power worked. All he had to do was say how many people were there and what he thought they were doing. They’d repeat the exercise a couple times then the boy could go eat his lunch with his friends.

“Ok Midoriya.” He heard his math’s teacher call from the other side of the wall. “Now!”

The greenette waved his hand, feeling the familiar sensation of his power activating. With a blink the color of everything changed to the sepia tones and he could see yellow silhouettes past the wall. “There’s four of you. Mister Aizawa on the far left, the principal on the far right and two ectoplasms in between, I think. The principal is waving, the Ectoplasms are standing still and Mister Aizawa is…Holding up three fingers?”

“I wanted to see how much you could discern, even if you can’t make out exact details.” The man explained from behind the wall. The boys power disappted then.

“Ahh! I think I just hit the time limit.” The boy told them, as he rubbed his eyes slightly.

“Rest your eyes a moment before we continue, Mister Midoriya.” He heard the principal call out.

And so that’s what Midoriya spend the next fifteen minutes doing. Cementoss would create cement furniture behind the walls and Ectoplasm would create a different number of clones each time. They’d act out different scenarios and the boy had to tell them what was happening as best he could.

One had included a surprise ‘Assassination’ of Aizawa that had really caught the greenette off guard, he had barely called out about it in time. Still he had managed and Aizawa had stopped the clone from ‘killing’ him.

"Alright, Mister Midoriya!" The principal’s voice spoke from behind the wall. “There will be two more then we’ll let you go eat your lunch. For this next one, I am curious as to what will happen if you focus on the idea of Eraserhead being more important than anyone else past this wall. Tell us if doing so causes any changes! And begin!”

As the boy activated his Dark Vision, he focused intently on his mental image of Aizawa, and gasped as the silhouettes appeared once more. Among the normal yellow ones was a green one that matched with the shape of Aizawa’s previous silhouettes. It was the same line up as the first time they did this so it wasn’t hard to tell what was happening

"You’re all doing the same thing as the first time we did this but Mister Aizawa is green now.” The boy explained. He then decided to try something. ‘The power first activated when I really wanted to see through walls so…’ “I’m going to try to turn it off myself instead of waiting on the time limit running out, is that ok?”

“Try it.” He heard his homeroom teacher tell him and so he did. He focused on a desire for his vision to return to normal as he repeated the motion he started the power with and when he blinked again…

“It worked!” The boy called out before taking a seat on the ground. “There’s just one more you wanted me to do?”

To his surprise Aizawa and Nezu rounded around the corner, joining him before the wall fell down, revealing at least 20 different ectoplasms.

"Alright Midoriya.” Aizawa spoke up. “Just one last test before you go, now we know you can mark people as ‘important’ with that power of yours. Try to see if you can identify the real Ectoplasm.”

“Right.” Midoriya nodded, walking towards the group and activating his power one last time. ‘Show me the real Ectoplasm.’

The greenette watched as the crowd became a massive yellow blob but among it all, there was one green silhouette standing out. The greenette walked up to the pro and placed a hand on his arm. “You’re the real ectoplasm. You’re green, the rest are just yellow.”

The clones all dissipated leaving only the one he had identified. The pro hero beside him looked down with his constant creepy smile as the boy . “Nicely done, kid.”

"Yes that was quite impressive Mister Midoriya.” The principal praised him happily. “Now just before we let you go running off to meet your friends, do you have any idea for a name for this power?”

Midoriya smiled, meeting the principal’s eye. “Dark Vision. I want to call it Dark vision.”

~~~~

Midoriya hated how his body shook and teeth chattered as he looked out among his classmates, being made to hold a meeting as class president. Lunch had been a disaster, he had spent most of it freaking out over the fact he was picked as class rep and then the alarms had gone off.

Somehow, the media had managed to break past the schools defenses but no one had known it was just some reports looking for a story. Everyone had freaked out thinking some sort of emergency was going on.

In the midst of the chaos, the boy had kept accidentally activating Dark Vision and now his head hurt like hell. He had really wanted to know where Iida and Uraraka were as they’d been swept away by the crowd and his power had reacted to his desire. The amount of yellow that had filled his vision was enough to make him sick of the color.

Fortunately, Iida in a moment of brilliance had realized it was reporters outside and pulled a stunt to get everyone’s attention, calming them all down. He had been so calm and collected and took charge of the situation like he was born to do it. Midoriya took a steadying breathe, hopefully Aizawa wouldn’t mind what he was about to do.

"It's time class rep, let’s begin.” Yaoyorouzu said from behind him, drawing him into the meeting. She had gotten one less vote than him, making her the vice-president.

“O-ok so we need to f-figure out who the other class officer’s w-will be!” Midoriya told the class, hating how pathetic his voice sounded, he shook his head and took a breath. ‘Get yourself together for two minutes!’ “But first, there’s something that I wanna say.

Looking up, he saw the entire classes attention was on him, that did not help make this any easier. “I thought a lot about this...and I think that Tenya Iida should be our class rep!”

He heard the boy perk up in surprise when he was mentioned. “When the panic was going on during the media break-in, he was able to capture everyone’s attention and get us in line. Meanwhile all I was doing was dealing with my own powers trying to fry my eyes out.”

He didn’t really think about how the class would react to that considering he had yet to actually explain his new power. There were shouts of surprise and concern, causing the boy to flinch.

“So I believe, he should be the one leading our class from now on.” The boy said as he smiled towards the blue haired teen.

“Yeah you know what, if Midoriya vouches for him I’m good.” Kirishima spoke up. “Plus he was a big help, he totally manned up and took charge right?”

"This is a waste of time." Aizawa spoke up, clearly not amused by what was happening. “I don’t care who the rep is just hurry up. And Midoriya, once you do you had best explain your new power to the class, I’m not doing that for you.”

“Right.” The greenette nodded, shaking slightly. Mister Aizawa was scary when he was annoyed. Well more scary. A slight scraping was heard as Iida stood up from his chair.

"If Midoriya is nominating me for the job. Then I gladly accept! I pledge to carry out my duties to the best of my abilities!” Iida told everyone passionately, a slight smile on his face.

"Great to hear Iida." Kirishima said with a thumbs up directed at the boy.

Midoriya failed to notice the discontented look on the girl beside him. However he did hear her cough to get his attention. “While you’re up here Midoriya, do you mind explaining this new power of yours? It sounds dangerous from what you said a minute ago.”

"Right, so this requires some explanation.” The boy started, taking a breath. “I’ve already told some of you this but my quirk…It didn’t manifest when I was five like most people’s.”

Muttering broke out across the class until Aizawa hushed them all and told them to let the boy finish. Looking across the class he saw Iida and Uraraka giving him looks of encouragement.

"And I call my tentacle ‘Far Reach’ but my actual quirk is called ‘Mark’. Truth is, until recently I was considered quirkless.” Gasps were heard, everyone looked at him wide-eyed. Midoriya showed the class his mark. “Then, eleven months ago I was attacked by a villain. I was saved by a pro and at some point during the day, this appeared on my hand.”

“Hang on so you’ve only had powers for eleven months?!” Ashido asked shocked. “But you used them like they were natural to you in the exercise!”

“No, I haven’t had them for eleven months actually.” The boy explained, putting his hand down. He noticed off to the side Aizawa had suddenly been a lot more interested in what he was saying. ‘Might as well just be honest, well as honest as I can.’ “Quirkless people….aren’t treated nicely in the school I came from. At the time I got it, I thought the villain had marked me for some reason because it’s not like my mom or dad’s quirks. I’ll admit, I was pretty worried I’d be treated even worse if people thought it was something like that so I went with a story that it was a tattoo someone with a quirk had put on me by accident.”

“Wait so then when did you realize it was a quirk?”  Hagakure, a girl with an invisibility quirk, asked. “If you thought it was just a mark?”

“My powers, when they first unlock, it’s related to my desire at the time. The first time I ever used powers…” He took a deep breath, they would definitely be more shouts of shock at this. “It was during the entrance exam.”

Just like the boy expected everyone started shouting shock. Probably Jirou, the girl he tied with in the quirk test who had earphone jacks dangling off her ears, was the loudest. “You signed up to the exam thinking you were quirkless?! How the heck did you pass?”

Midoriya took a couple minutes to explain his meeting with Urachan and what had happened when the zero pointer showed up. It was a bit of a ramble but Aizawa didn't stop him, letting him get his thoughts out. When he finished light clapping could be heard from Kirishima.

“Dang it Midoriya, you were cool enough in the exercise. Now this? We get it you’re super manly!” Kirishima said but he had a smile on his face despite his words. “So what’s your new power then? Sounds kinda dangerous with how you described it.”

“Oh!” The greenette looked up, the smiled and activated it. “Its not really, I mean I can get a sore eyes and headache from it if I overuse it but its actually pretty cool. As far as I know you guys won't see any physical signs of it happening but im doing it right now. Its called Dark Vision, you guys are all yellow silhouettes right now to me, silhouettes that I can see even through walls.”

He heard mutterings from some people sounding like they were wishing they had a power like that. Looking around the boy found out that, to his surprise, the power even worked on Hagakure. He could see her hands and head. “I can't see exact details, just kinda the general shapes. I can think of someone as important and they'll be a different colour from the rest. I’m not quite sure HOW it works yet but It's counteracting Hagakure’s invisibility.”

“Wait really?!” the girl perked up in surprise. Some around the class looked doubtful. “Guess we can see how good that power of yours is, what’s my hair like?!”

“S-similar to Jirou's but longer, just above shoulder length.” Everyone held their breath as they waited for the girl to tell them whether Midoriya was right or wrong. The girl let out a small excited squeal.

“He's right! Finally someone can see me!” The girl happily said, dancing in her seat. The class all started talking amongst themselves in surprise. Midoriya decided to wrap up with probably the last question they were wondering.

“Dark Vision activated for the first time in the middle of the exercise. I wanted to see Kacchan through the walls cause the area I choose to hide in, the acoustics made it next to impossible to know how close he was. That’s pretty much everything.” He finished his explanation but before he could return to his seat Aizawa stopped him.

“Nezu explained to me there might be one more thing, but we can't be certain on it. All of you should know in case it happens in the middle of class.” Aizawa started. The greenette stopped in his tracks, realizing what he had forgot to mention.

“Oh…well, there's a possibility….I might develop another power or three…or really even more, not sure yet.” The boy said nervously, scratching the back of his head.

“WHAT?!” Came the shocked and probably pissed off scream of Bakugou. The classroom descended into shouting chaos for what felt like the hundredth time.


	10. The Mask

Midoriya rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked to the front door, in his school outfit but lacking his blazer. He had awoken earlier than he normally would and his mom was still preparing breakfast so she sent him to go get the newspaper they had delivered.

 

The boy leaned over and gave the headline a quick once-over:

 

**_U.A.’s Newest Faculty Member: The #1 Hero All Might; Resolves multiple incidents this morning's_**

****

Midoriya scowled at it, remembering the chaos it had caused the day before. The newspaper had the usual ‘More on page 3’. There was only one other story advertised on the front in a small column:

 

**_New Organization: ‘The Abbey of The Everyman’, Religious or Atheist?_ **

****

The greenette rolled his eyes as he took it to his mother. The boy himself being agnostic, he had learned long ago to avoid any religious talk like the plague lest he end up with a headache when someone zealous from any one of the many sides started to try to convert him. The boy stopped in his tracks as he realized something, looking down at his mark. ‘Not really still agnostic anymore, are you? Mark’s proof there’s at least someone out there.’

 

Midoriya shook his head as he put the paper on the table for his mom to read when they finished breakfast and he went off to school. The boy put ‘The Abbey’ out his mind as he went to look for his blazer. After all, not like they were really important to him.

 

~~~~

 

He was getting stared at a lot, he could tell as he finished up some new notes on Kamui Woods he had found out through the news on his way to school. People weren’t as stealthy about it as they thought they were.

 

If he were a sassier boy, he might have told Hagakure that staring is supposed to be easier when you are invisible. Of course they weren’t like the stares he used to get growing up. He hated those stares. The stares he used to get reminded him everyone thought of him as ‘A freak, not worth their time.’

 

 

These stares were nice, if a little embarrassing. Well except Bakugou’s but that was a given. These stares were from people who liked him for one, and they were stares of awe as well as perhaps a tinge of jealousy for some. Since they found out he had multiple powers and had the capability to manifest more, they had been staring. (Or in Bakugou’s case glared with enough fury to rival his own explosions.)

 

The announcement that sounded over the schools speakers had NOT helped. The cheery voice of the principal sounded throughout the room.

 

“Will Mister Izuku Midoriya from the hero course, class 1-A and Miss Mei Hatsume from Support, class 1-H please report to my office at lunch? Apologies for any interruptions everyone. Have an amazing day!”

 

Once the announcement finished all subtly about the staring had flew out the window at one hundred miles per hour into the path of a runaway freight train.

 

“Do you have a girlfriend we don’t know about Midoriya?!” Kaminari asked, a teasing grin on his face. He felt his flush red and before he could get a chance to defend himself Mineta then shouted out.

 

“You must of done something to be called, and with a girl? DID YOU GET LAID?! WHY DIDN’T—“

 

A loud THWACK sound reverberated through the air as a book collided with the short boy’s head, quieting him down while Midoriya blushed deepened massively. Tracing the path quickly lead everyone to the conclusion that Uraraka had thrown the book.

 

“Uraraka.” Aizawa started annoyed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “While I don’t disagree with quieting Mineta in this scenario, please refrain from using methods like that from now on or I will have to give you detention. “

 

“Sorry sir. I feel bad about it.” Uraraka said. It wasn’t hard to mean she didn’t really mean that apology. Aizawa didn’t call her out.

 

“Anyways, I would appreciate it if you all staring at Midoriya so much.” Aizawa told them, causing the greenette to let out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t let the boy dissuade the notions about this ‘Hatsume’ being his ‘girlfriend’ but he had stopped the staring. It was nice that his homeroom teacher was on his side. “If you all find him to be good eye-candy that’s fine but don’t interrupt my class with your attractions.”

 

Almost the entire class joined Midoriya in blushing massively as the boy decided that their homeroom teacher liked to mess with him with really good timing.

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya sighed as he walked up to the massive wood doors with fancy accents. He had almost been late, having to reassure Iida and Uraraka that he really didn’t have a girlfriend. He still wasn’t entirely sure they believed him but they had let him run off for his visit to the headmaster.

 

As he walked in he found a small group of people inside. The principal, as well as Ectoplasm were there. Along with them was a teacher he recognized as the pro hero Power Loader and a female student with pink hair and gold eyes he had never seen before wearing a black tank top and a jacket tied around her waist. She had oil smudges over her and a manic grin. ‘That must be the Hatsume girl.’

 

“Midoriya, you’re here.” Ectoplasm said, noticing him. Everyone else looked at him at that. The girl’s eyes seemed to widen in excitement. The principal smiled and waved his paws slightly.

 

“Ah, young mister Midoriya, Good. Now that you’re here we can get on with business.” The principal started with a twinkle in his deep black eyes. ‘Oh, that’s what the Outsiders eyes remind me of, animals.’ “Before we get to the main point of this meeting, I want to tell you that from now on, Ectoplasm will be your main trainer in regards to your powers. He is the quirk counsellor here at UA for those with more troublesome abilities. Of course you may have already realized this from him being present during your training with…Dark vision was it?”

 

“Yes sir.” The boy confirmed with a nod. The principal got out his chair and walked around to the front of his desk.

 

"Hmm, certainly an interesting name. Dark Vision.” The principal stopped as if seeing how the name felt in his mouth before nodding and continuing. “Anyways from now on, if you have any reason to suspect you may have developed a new power, even if it’s only a slight suspicion you’ll be expected to notify the nearest teacher, or get a student to bring a teacher to you if for some reason you are immobilized by it in some way. Explain to them the details of what happened so they can take any necessary precautions and they’ll escort you to Ectoplasm or in cases of inability to move, him to you. Once you are with him, well I’ll let the man himself explain.”

 

The teacher in question walked up to him, his grin unnerving the boy a little. He knew the man couldn’t help it but the greenette still shivered. ‘Please tell me all the ‘being immobilized’ talk is over.’

 

“Once you’re with me, we’ll figure out the details of the power and start an immediate training session to get you used to the power and try to eliminate and danger of misuse.” The strict phantom like voice of the pro really unnerved Midoriya as he nodded to show he understood. “After all most students have almost a decade to learn to control their powers, you’ve only had a few months at absolute best for Far Reach and mere days for Dark Vision. Starting next week as well, I’d like to hold an hour long training session after school on Wednesdays and Tuesdays. Normally I’d bring you to the counselling sessions on Wednesdays but you’re a special case and I don’t believe those session would be useful for your situation. When a location is decided on I’ll inform Aizawa. Anyways I shall be leaving now, I’ll see you Tuesday. That is, assuming you don’t develop a new power soon.”

 

As the teacher left he noticed the girl seemed to be fidgeting wildly, almost bouncing up and down in excitement. It reminded him of when he was kid and All Might would appear on the television.

 

“Power Loader, would you please introduce our students as well as yourself to mister Midoriya?” The principal asked the other pro who walked toward the greenette at the mouse-bear-dog things prompting.

 

“Nice to meet you.” The hero said, shaking the boy’s hand. “As Nezu says I’m Power Loader, I teach students in the support course and this is-“

 

“HI! I’m Mei Hatsume, though you probably know that. Oh nice muscles, these would be perfect in one of the inventions I have an idea for.” Power Loader had been cut off by the girl who had rushed forward and started feeling up the greenette, causing him to blush as deep as he did earlier in the day. Power Loader pulled the girl off him and scratched the back of his head.

 

“Sorry about her, she’s genius but has next to no concept about how to be polite. At least she’s straight-forward.” Power Loader explained, grumbling. “Hatsume, go get the things you made from outside.”

 

“Power Loader, if you don’t mind I’d prefer you go with her and wait when she brings it in.” Nezu asked of the pro with a pointed look, seeming to indicate that was an order, just given politely. The hero complied as Nezu turned to address the boy once more.

 

“The real reason for this visit is due to some items Miss Hatsume has created recently. You may be wondering what that has to do with you. She has said some things about a ‘black-eyed man’ who’s been inspiring her in her dreams, giving her ideas and solutions to problems in her design.” The principal explained causing Midoriya’s eyes to widen in shock. “All Might explained to me the origin of your mark. We agreed it was best not to tell any other teachers. So as of now, only us, All Might and Recovery Girl know about the figure I believe he referred to as ‘The Outsider’, so I’m sure you can appreciate that we had to look into it.”

 

The boy nodded, his mouth dry. He placed he hand to chin in thought. “Why would the Outsider visit her though? I mean she’s certainly interesting by our standards but I was pretty unremarkable when he came to me so he clearly has a different though process over what he considers interesting.”

 

“Well as it turns out, she has been working on two projects that were addressed to a ‘Deku.’, it didn’t take much investigating to find out that it’s a nickname two students use for you.” The principal clapped his paws and nodded behind him, prompting the greenette to run around to see Hatsume and Power Loader walking in with two closed boxes. “As for what the items are, well I’ll let her explain shall I?”

 

Midoriya tentatively walked towards the two, thankful the box in the girls hand was stopping her from feeling him up again. She spoke up, eyes full of energy and her manic grin still not leaving her. “Open the one in my hands first!”

 

“O-ok.” The boy said, complying. He found himself almost frozen in shock once he opened it and gently took out its contents. It was a mask, made of metal and it was designed to look almost exactly like his costumes mask, except the ear on the left side was chipped off. He could tell not only because of the design but on the right side of the mask had the green cloth of his mask covering the metal underneath. “Wait is this…?!”

 

“We visited the place you lot did combat training to see the aftermath and get some ideas about how we could deal with collateral damage. I found this cloth lodged in some rubble. I only brought with me at the time as some scrap but then I started having dreams. This mask is one of the two final products of said dreams.” Hatsume explained while he inspected the mask, turning it around he found a silk like red cloth on the inside, with two holes cut to allow the wearer to see out the eyes. He noticed some small wires traveling from one of the eyes up to the roof of the mask and down to where the ears would be. “This mask has some really awesome lenses in the left eye. The only thing I know can see farther are my own eyes with my quirk, and not by much! And unlike my quirk, there are certain mechanisms in there that will amplify sound! It’s one of my best works, though relatively simple and seeing as its based off your mask, not to mention the inspiration of course I’m giving it you.~”

 

“This is….” Midoriya was speechless as he held the mask in his hand. Wat he could he say to this? A girl he didn’t even know had given a gift, upgrading his mask. “I’m really grateful, thank you very much! But why would you do this for me?”

 

“Because I want you wear, see how good it is and let everyone know who made it so more people want my products, getting me noticed by support companies easier.” Hatsume said without an ounce of shame in her voice. The boy blinked, dumbfounded at the bluntness while Power Loader groaned.

 

“I told you she’s straight-forward. You’ll want to open this now, but be careful, if you rush you might cut off a few fingers.” Power Loader told him, prompting Midoriya to come over. He nodded to show he understood and carefully opened the box.

 

“I told you it’s impossible for it to do anything lethal!” Hatsume exclaimed at her teacher, rolling her eyes.

 

“You can’t know that! I don’t care what crazy thing your dreams tell you, it needs to go through safety checks before you can claim that.” Power Loader told her as Midoriya pulled out a metal block that had been rounded out slightly like a sword hilt. A button was hidden near the top of the handle and at the bottom there seemed to be some kind of bone attached to it that almost seemed as though it was emitting a small song from the small sounds he could hear from it.

 

"Before you write it off as just a block, press the button.” Hatsume told him and he complied, a clicking sound was heard and suddenly the sides seemed to spring out but because of his grip they didn’t get far. Moving his hand he watched as both the sides fell down and seemed to clamp together slightly when they met again. The boy adjusted his grip onto the newly formed longer handle and as his grip got tighter something start to come out the top.

 

“Point it away from you, slightly down for ease and then squeeze hard. Then press the button again.” Power Loader told him. Midoriya complied and almost jumped back in shock when a blade slid out from his grip. The bones had disappeared inside it. He pressed the button and once again a click was heard, which the boy realized must have been a lock inside the handle. “Why don’t you explain to him how you intend for it to work, Hatsume?”

 

“How it DOES work.” Hatsume pointedly started, convinced of her design being perfectly like she intended. “Is using a  lock and some good old human applied pressure, the metal block will unfold into a sword. I’ve made some modifications to it so it will be incapable of piercing skin at all, however it can still be used as a an effective weapon. It will still be like the person you use it on was sliced by the sword but there will be no truly lethal or debilitating damage. Strike someone in a way that would be lethal with a regular blade will merely render your target unconscious. However just because its incapable of actually slicing through sentient beings DOESN’T mean it isn’t still a sharp sword. If whatever you hit it with isn’t living the blade will be like any good sword. Once you’re done using it you simply press the button and the blade will slide right back in. There’s a magnet that will lock it in place so you can turn the hilt upside down and it’ll transform back into just a metal block.”

 

The boy followed her instructions to fold it back and it was as easy as she made it sound. “Holy, that’s super cool!”

 

 Power Loader spoke up then, coming to take the handle from the boy.

 

“Hatsume is certain her blade will work like that but she hasn’t explained to me at all how she did it. She’s bright but she’s also one of the most reckless students around. I trust that her idea is something she can produce but I need to put this blade through a lot of tests first before it can be allowed to be used by anyone.” The pro explained, placing the folding blade inside the box and picking it up and leaving, Hatsume trailing behind him. She didn’t bother to take the mask.  Nezu then spoke up from behind Midoriya.

 

“I obviously cannot allow you to brandish a blade if it proves to be dangerous, mister Midoriya. However the mask you’re free to take to your next hero class if you wish. I’ll inform your teachers about the circumstances of it. As for the blade, if it truly turns out to be as miss Hatsume claims then it will be your choice if you wish to start using it. However if it turns out to be dangerous, it will be kept in storage until your third year, when you can take the exams to be granted a license wield dangerous weapons as a pro.”

 

"Um… wouldn't a blade still be considered a dangerous weapon, regardless sir?” The boy asked, confused.

 

“Seeing that, if it works as intended, it cannot directly harm anyone to the levels considered dangerous, no. Were you to bring it into a public after gaining your provisional license, you might be stopped occasionally by some pros and police but so long as you can prove to them it’s incapable of doing real damage they will leave you alone.” The principal explained with a smile. “Of course, I still recommend taking those weapon exams when the time comes, as it will make life easier and if the mechanisms do fail in future you can still legally wield it. Now go get lunch, I have taken up enough of your time with these matters. Before you go though, I can’t deny I’m curious. Do you think you’ll wear the mask?”

 

Midoriya took a moment to consider the question. He knew he wouldn’t be able to use his costume due to what happened to it when he fought Bakugou however, if the mask had the capabilities Hatsume claimed it did then it couldn’t hurt to get used to it. “Yes sir, I think I will.”


	11. The Unforeseen Simulation Joint

 

Midoriya was in for a surprise when he returned to his normal table with his friends to catch the tail end of his lunch period. Iida and Uraraka were there like normal but with them was Jirou, who seemed unhappy. Though she always seemed to have a blank, uninterested look on her face as far as he could tell.

 

As he sat down all three looked up. Uraraka’s face brightened up and Iida seemed relieved when he appeared. Jirou seemed to only grant him a quick glance to acknowledge his arrival before focusing back on her food.

 

"Hey guys. Hey..Um…Jirou.” The boy wasn’t as certain of himself, acknowledging the girl. “I-f, you uh, you don’t mind em asking, why are you here? I mean don’t get me wrong, your company is completely welcome and great I’m sure! I didn’t mean to imply otherwise and im sor-“

 

“Dude, calm down.” Jirou said in her admittedly calming voice. She looked up and met the boy’s eyes with a sigh. She gestured to a table some distance down the cafeteria, where the boy noticed both Kaminari and Mineta were eating together “Normal I’d sit with the blonde dunce but then HE showed up. Dude’s got issues so I got up to find another table but then they started talking about my quirk…”

 

The girl trailed off at the end, leading Midoriya to suspect whatever had been said wasn’t particularly nice. His suspicion was confirmed when Uraraka spoke up. “They started talking about how useless they thought her quirk was right in front of her. Makes me wanna punch ‘em.”

 

“Uraraka! Mister Aizawa has already scolded you once for brining physical harm to another student, please do not make me have to repeat his words to you!” Iida started to lecture her. The purple hair girl didn’t focus on the two, instead sighing and speaking to no one in particular.

 

“They’re not entirely wrong, it’s such a weird power, other than hearing stuff I don’t exactly have much use.” The girl said with a frown, toying at her food but not eating. If Midoriya was honest with himself, somewhere deep down he was just a tiny bit angry at the thought that someone would complain about their quirk when he had spent most of his years without one.  “I have no idea how I tied with you on the test first day, Midoriya. There’s so much you’re capable of, you should have been way higher.”

 

"That’s ridiculous, claiming your quirk is useless OR one-note! I think it’s actually really awesome!” The boy exclaimed, fixing her with a smile to try and encourage her. “If you ask me, even if he is our teacher, Mister Aizawa isn’t infallible. That quirk test should have had a basic hide-and-seek like test for stealth types for example. Hagakure had next to no chance to show any potential in the tests he came up with despite. And as for your power, it’s actually pretty versatile if you ask me. Sure your hearing might get put to the forefront of your useful abilities but from what I was told, you broke solid concrete! How did you pass the exam, out of curiosity?”

 

Jirou blinked in surprise, lifting her head from her hand that it had been resting on. “They had switches on the back of them. I just kept dodging and using my jacks to deactivate them with those switches.”

 

“…There were switches?” Midoriya asked surprised, garnering looks from the three students.

 

“Deku? That was on the pamphlet for the exam…” Uraraka informed. The greenette blinked before putting his face into his hands and groaning.

 

“That would have been so much easier….” He said before looking up, deciding to get back on track. “Anyways, so considering that then you can control them like appendages?”

 

“Yeah, pretty easily.” Jirou nodded, demonstrating as her jacks raised into the air and moved about a bit before going limp.

 

“So you could use them like whips then! Or to distract your opponent by stabbing them using their small width meaning there’s no real risk but the person you’re fighting will be distracted by the pain. After all, the quirks only as good as the person using it and you seem pretty smart from what I do know!” Once again as the boy finished listing off possibilities all eyes were on him, causing him to blush lightly. “Sorry if I’m rambling, quirks and their applications are kinda my thing….”

 

“Thanks dude…It helps” The purple haired teen said, her face pulling up into a smile for the briefest of moments but the boy caught it. She was really pretty when she did smile, a part of him couldn’t help musing.

 

The topic of conversation slowly turned to what they were expecting for their next hero class and how they planned to spend the rest of their day when they left, Jirou joining in and getting involved more than she probably would have otherwise.

 

As they talked Midoriya couldn’t help but stare at his hand considering the conversation and something that still bugged him to this day.

 

 

 

_The mark glowed a brilliant blue. His hand seemed to act all of its own accord as he turned back to face the robot. Some small, semi-opaque black and purple tendrils shot out his hand and wrapped around the zero-pointers head, pulling the boy back._

 

 

_The mark glowed blue as Midoriya’s hands made a claw shape, causing the woman to gasp. Midoriya focused on the remote, he almost swore he could see a blue marker around it guiding him. Finally the greenette tried to summon the tendrils, remembering what they felt like before._

_Both the greenette’s were in for a shock when there was no small black tendrils but instead one big black and purple tentacle wrapped in smaller tendrils like appendage that shot out from the boy’s palm._

 

 

 

‘I wonder, if I could tone down the intensity….Could I control them like Jirou controls her jacks?’ The boy wondered, saving the idea for later when Iida asked him how his mom was doing.

 

~~~~

 

“Hey, Midoriya! What exactly were you called to the principal’s office for anyways?” Sero asked as the class rode on a bus their next lesson. Aizawa had announced they’d be starting their first rescue training exercises today. Upon hearing the question everyone stared at him, awaiting the answer.

 

“Oh yeah, I completely forgot to ask during lunch!” Uraraka exclaimed. “Was it to do with your powers? And who’s the Hatsume person?”

 

“Oh uh…Well she turned out to be a support course student…She’s uh….lets go with excitable.” The boy said, opening the pouch he had added to his gym outfit and pulling out his mask that had barely fit in. ‘Calling her insane would be mean…even if its accurate.’ “As for why, apparently she made some things that for some reason were addressed to a ‘Deku’”

 

Everyone then really started to focus at hearing that. Kaminari let out a small chuckle. “So she is your girlfriend then!”

 

“No, we’ve never met until today.” The boy said, not ending up an embarrassed mess this time as he was too focused on a certain detail of the masks creation.

_“She has said some things about a ‘black-eyed man’ who’s been inspiring her in her dreams, giving her ideas and solutions to problems in her design.”_

****

**_“I would not normally get as involved as I have been.”_ **

****

‘Why? If he doesn’t get involved then…’ The boy shook his head, he could worry about it later. For now he should just explain what she made. “Apparently support course students sometimes go into the places we train in afterwards to get ideas on how to deal with collateral damage…she found a part of my mask Kacchan managed to tear off. Using it and some idea she created this.”

 

Everyone stared as he took a breath and put the mask on his face, his eyes adjusting. He fiddled with a small knob near the ear to adjust the lenses so he could see properly and looked around. “Principal Nezu let me take it with me to try it out, seeing as it was made for me. I may not have my costume but I still want to see what it’s like so I’ll be using it during our rescue training. Even if it doesn’t exactly match up outfit wise”

 

“Oh I get it. You that seems like a smart idea!” Uraraka nodded her understanding and everyone else seemed satisfied with the answer. Some asked about the mask and what made it special compared to his original cloth one. He explained as best he could but even he didn’t really know much beyond what Hatsume told him.

 

~~~~

 

‘We were supposed to be practicing saving other people’s lives today…but now we’re the ones in danger…’

 

Midoriya felt his throat go dry as he stood up after being unceremoniously dropped the metal floor of a cruise ship. A moment later Mineta smashed into the ground beside him hard.

 

Looking over the side of the ship he saw Asui crawling up the side and climbing in beside them.

 

“This is a nightmare. Ribbit” The frog girl said as Midoriya took in their surroundings. They’d definitely ended up in the shipwreck area thirteen had mentioned.

 

“Hey Asui-“ the boy started but was cut off

 

“Tsu.”

 

“Right….Uh, I know it’s not the best time but how does your quirk exactly? How could you climb the ship?” Midoriya asked as his brain ran a hundred miles a minute.

 

It had only been what, 20 minutes since they’d walked into the USJ at most? How quickly things went south….

 

_The boy felt his blood run cold as he watched the lights of the facility start to flicker and the dark purple seams in the air started to manifest. When Aizawa announced they were real villains, the boy felt like he was going to pass out._

_Wasn’t UA supposed to be one of the most secure schools around? How had they gotten in?! The class all turned tail and tried to run, to escape as Midoriya cursed the fact that All Might couldn’t be here right now._

_The teachers hadn’t told the class why the man hadn’t shown up but Midoriya had seen their other teacher Thirteen hold up three fingers to Aizawa._

_Three fingers. Three hours. All Might had exceeded his time limit._

“Well we might have to fight now, so I think it’s actually a good idea to understand each other’s quirks. I can basically anything a frog can do, ribbit. You probably guessed that already, but what that actually entails is being able to stick to most, if not all surfaces because of the stickiness of the tips of my fingers.” Asui told the greenette. “I can also jump high, and extend my tongue out to roughly 20 meters, ribbit. It’s just about strong enough to lift up a human.”

“Woah that’s so cool!” The boy exclaimed, his quirk analyzing enthusiasm bubbling to the surface before he shook his head. ‘focus!’ “Obviously I have my super Strength but anytime I use it my body breaks. It’s a double edged sword. There’s also my far Reach, I can grab people and items with it similarly to your tongue, I can also use it as a whip as a way to traverse. What about you Mineta? What can you do?”

 

“Well, my quirk lets me pull these sticky balls out of my scalp, they regrow as fast as I can pull em out and their strength depends on how I’m feeling. Some stick for a whole day and other only an hour. I’m the only thing I know that they can’t stick to, instead I just bounce right off. I’ll bleed if I use too many, though.” The smaller boy said proudly before his face slowly morphed into a frown. “But it’s not like we’re going to need to use them right? All Might and the other teachers will show up and save us! There’s no reason to fight when we could hide right?!”

 

The greenette looked at the floor. He turned his mind back to what had just occurred again.

 

_Mister Aizawa was fending off the villains, using his capture tape and coming it with his fighting moves. He wrapped the tap around one villain’s leg and delivered a swift round house kick, knocking them over before moving onto another._

_“This isn’t the time to analyze!” Iida’s voice reminded Midoriya and he shook his head before rushing to catch up with his class._

_They had almost made it to the exit of the facility when the purple seams from before appeared before them, blocking their escape. It turned out to be part of one of the villains who had invaded._

_“Greetings. I am Kurogiri, and we are the league of villains.” He informed them in that horribly smooth voice of his. It almost felt mocking. “I know it’s impolite but we’ve invited ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello. Besides, would you not consider this a poetic place for All Might, the symbol of peace, to draw his last breathe?”_

_‘That’s why they’re here?!’ Midoriya exclaimed internally. In the corner of his vision he noticed Kirishima’s body hardening._

_“Yet despite what the schedule we borrowed suggested there seems to be no sign of the symbol of peace. There must have been some change of plan we could not foresee.” The wisps raised into the air, almost taking the shape of massive claws. The two yellow lights that seemed to signify the villain’s eyes changed to a glare. “Regardless, I still have a role to play.”_

_Kurogiri moved as if to attack but before he could actually do anything, Bakugou and Kirishima rushed forward. A second later an explosion sounded and smoke covered the classes’ vision of the wisp villain._

_“Did you think we were just gonna stand aside while you destroy this place?!” Kirishima’s voice rang out, though Midoriya couldn’t see him at all. The smoke started to clear and the greenette took a step back in shock. The villain was completely unharmed, the wisps merely slightly scattered In the air but reforming._

_“You certainly live up to your schools reputation but little children should be more careful, they aren’t supposed to play with fire, you might get hurt!” Kurogiri mocked. Thirteen rushed forward, one hand outstretched._

_“YOU TWO! GET OUT OF THE WAY NOW!” The rescue hero shouted out but before they could do anything the wispy villain spoke up once more._

_“I do agree, go back. I have some friends who I’d love for you to meet!” Kurogiri said as hundreds of wispy tendrils, not to dissimilar to intangible versions of Midoriya’s initial usage of Far Reach covered them all._

_It was just a moment later Midoriya felt himself falling through the air, into a body of water._

_‘Where am I?!’ He asked himself internally looking around under the water. ‘Water…Does that villain have some sort of teleporting quirk?! Crap, gotta get back, fast! They came here to kill All Might so it’s a good thing he’s not in calss right now but…where is he?!’_

_The boy couldn’t finish his thought as he swam to the surface as a blur shot in front of him before rounding around. A villain with a head like hammerhead shark swam towards him and opened their jaw. ‘What the heck?! Crap, Active powers won’t work underwater! What do I do?!’_

_The villain was getting closer, only roughly 40 meters between them at an estimate. ‘One for All, even if it didn’t break me I couldn’t build enough pressure to blow this guy away and punching is out the question. Well maybe with a palm strike but…’_

_20 meters_

_‘Far Reach would be massively slowed down so using it as whip wouldn’t work, I couldn’t pull him around either.    Maybe I could hold him back though back?!’_

_10 meters_

_Midoriya raised his left hand and prepared to try to stop him with his Far Reach when all of a sudden another blur shot into his vision, colliding with the hammerhead villain. As they slowed, the second blur turned out to be Asui kicking the villain, with Mineta in her arms._

_“Midoriya!” The frog girls tongue shot out her mouth, wrapping around his waist and pulling him to the surface._

“Midoriya….” He was snapped out of it as he felt Asui place a ahnd on his shoulder. He looked up surprised to see the other two students looking at him concerned. “You weren’t responding.”

 

“Sorry. I was thinking. They knew our whole schedule and who would be here. I’m willing to bet they got in during the confusion when the press broke in. The teachers would have had their handful dealing with the reporters. That means they’ve been waiting for the perfect time to attack, just like Todoroki said they were. If their goal is to kill All Might and they’ve planned this, then they probably found a way to do it.” The boy explained. He looked at Mineta, who was starting to quiver and sighed before standing up.  “

 

“This is turning out to be a terrible day of class. Ribbit.” Asui groaned and Midoriya had to nod his head in agreement.

 

"Come on though, it’s not like whatever they’ve got can actually work! Once All Might shows up he’ll and these bad guys into oblivion and we’ll be safe!” Mineta put in, punching the air as if trying to imitate their missing teacher.

 

“No, if the villains had this much planning then whatever they have, I think it’ll be enough…” Midoriya hated the words coming out of his mouth but he knew it would be naive to think otherwise. Hid gaze wandered to the side of the baot and he tensed up.

 

“Maybe we should be more worried about not getting tortured to death, you heard what that smoke guy said.” The smallest of the trio started to sweat as the girl continued. Midoriya felt the urge to face palm at her lack of observation, both of the smaller boys state and the situation they were in. “Otherwise we might not survive long enough to see All Might again and even if he does show up who knows if he’ll make it out in one piece.”

 

“NO! The pro’s will come and save us right?! Tell frog butt to shut up!” The purple themed boy started gesturing wildly shouting at the other boy. The greenette decided to ignore Mineta.

 

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we can just sit back and hide, nor do I think we should even if we could.” He told the two, his gaze hardening with his resolve. “Look around the boat, look what’s happening.”

 

The other two teens followed his request and both tensed as they notced what the greenette already had. They had been surrounded by a large group of villains all swimming around the boat.

 

“AGH! WHEN DID THEY GET HERE?!” Mineta cried out. Midoriya clenched his fists in frustration.

 

“So the brats finally noticed!” One of the villains mocked in a coarse voice.

 

“What do we do?!” Asui worried as she took a step back. “They’ve got us surrounded.”

 

“Actually… I think we have an advantage as well.” Midoriya spoke up, attracting his classmates attention. “They’re not attacking and they dumped you here Asui- TSU, I mean tsu!” The bot corrected himself as he started to stutter “...s-somewhere you’d be your most effective.”

 

“That kinda got away from you, didn’t it?” The girl asked, though not in a teasing manner, more as if she was just confirming a suspicion.

 

“Why does it matter she’s here?!” Mineta asked, teeth chattering and legs shaking.

 

“It matters cause it means they probably have no idea what our quirks are. For all their planning…They have no idea what WE’RE capable of.”

 

“Ribbit. You’ve got a point.” Asui admitted. “If they realized  I was a frog they surely would of sent me to that fire zone in the distance.”

 

“They probably split us up so they could pick us off one by one. For all they know, the three of us could be super powerful. We can use that to out advantage if they come near us.” Midoriya said as his eyes darted between all the villains. “Look, noen of them are trying to climb in, that proves their not completely sure…but that means they won’t underestimate us either.

 

‘If they’re here for All Might, then they must have a way to defeat him. They wouldn’t go through with this if they didn’t…but why!? Why All Might, why him out of all the heroes? Is it because his very existence deters crime, discourages villains and evil? Because he’s the symbol of peace, of justice? Something else…’ The boy shook his head as he walked to the wall of the cabin on the boat. ‘Actually, I don’t care. It doesn’t matter, whatever their reasons, I won’t let them. Focus, the pro’s won’t be here, and if they have a way to beat All Might, then it means even Mister Aizawa and Thirteen aren’t safe…I have to face this evil, head on!’

 

“If they can beat him…then we need to stop whatever it is they have planned. We have to work together and keep All Might safe. Mister Aizawa wasn’t their when that villain announced their plan, he has no idea they have something strong enough to take down All Might. Which means he doesn’t know they have something powerful enough to take down him.” Midoriya said, garnering Asui and Mineta’s attention once more. The frog girl put a finger to her chin as if in thought. “This is up to us, we’re here to become heroes so lets _be_ heroes!”

 

“FIGHT?! ARE YOU CRAZY OR JUST SUICIDAL?!” Mineta screamed at them as tears started pour from his eyes. “LET’S JUST WAIT FOR THE PRO’S FROM UA TO COME AND SAVE US”

 

“But how? Even if they don’t know what we can do as soon as we move they’ll find out what we can do and our only advantage will be gone. Ribbit.”

 

Before the boy could respond though a girant claw made from water shot into teh sky beside them and crashed through the boat not to far from where they were standing

 

“HOLY CRAP!!” Mineta shouted out as another villain piped up.

  
“This is getting boring, lets get this show on the road!” The villain goaded. Mineta screamed out as he rushed forward, plucking balls from his head.

 

“Mineta DON’T!” Midoriya tried to warn him but it was too late, the boy had thrown multiple of his balls into the water. The greenette looked over the side. ‘Crap, they’ll figure out his quirk!’

 

However, much to the boys surprise the villains were keeping their distance and pushing the water so the balls would float away. ‘They’re scared of them?’

 

“That’s a great power that villain had!” Asui admitted as she hopped back slightly. “What do we do now?! The ships sinking!”

 

“A villain who’s sure of their victory is bound to make a mistake. All Might said something along those lines once. I have an idea. It’s stupid, risky and we only have one shot at it but if we can pull it off, we might be able to escape from here and get closer to the others for backup. We’re probably gonna need it now!” The greenette stole a quick glance at his marked hand, a way of reassuring himself that he had the power to do this.

 

“Well, a risky idea is better than none, especially now. Ribbit. What do you have in mind, Midoriya?”

 

"It’s going to take some serious co-ordination for us two, Tsu.” The boy told her as he fiddles with the knob on the side of his mask. He looked out to where mister Aizawa would be and the lenses of his mask started to magnify his vision.

 

He just needed to find a landing spot.

 

~~~~ 

 

Midoriya took a deep breathe, Asui preparing behind him.

 

‘Now or never! Come on, act like Kacchan would!’

 

The boy smashed his foot onto the railing of the boot and let out a scream, in an attempt to make the villains hesitate. He leapt into the air, his heightened agility pushing him far into the air. He started to plummet back down, towards the villains and he put his fingers together, ready to flick them. “NOW DIE!”

 

One of the villains, they one who had destroyed the boat already made a claw from the water as if in in preparation ‘I can’t know how many of them are surrounding the boat, and even if I use a smash I can’t get them, all at once when they’re in a circle formation like that. Once we escape anyways there will still be other enemies out of the shipwreck zone, and if my mark gets exhausted One for All is all I’ll have left. I can’t screw this up! Focus, I need my arms, picture the image of the egg not exploding!’

Energy coursed through the boy’s body as his gaze hardened and he gritted his teeth. ‘No going back now! If the timing on Asu-Tsu’s part is off we’re screwed but…I just have to trust Tsu will do her part!’

 

“Take this!” He shouted at the villains. “Delaware….SMMMMMASSSSSHHHH!”

 

As soon as his fingers flicked, the chaos was almost immediate. A giant hole appeared instantly where the boy aimed and just a second later the water flew out of the lake on all sides, the boat being catapulted high into the air.

 

“TSU NOW!” Midoriya screamed out, slightly panicking. If Tsu didn’t jump they were screwed. However the boy’s fears were relieved when he saw the girl flying through the air with Mineta in tow.

 

The boy aimed his left hand, already feeling the pressure in his right from the attack. Tsu shot her tongue out to catch him and the boy responded by firing his Far Reach at it.

 

The two appendages met in the air and wrapped around each other. The greenette felt slightly bad for Asui, he couldn’t imagine it wasn’t pleasant to have on her taste buds. There was no time to worry about that though.

 

The girl used her momentum lift Midoriya above her in an arc and as he reached the top of the swing he started pulling her. It wouldn’t do much but it could certainly get them more distance than just a standard jump.

 

They were making quick time towards the land, their enemies scattered. The water was serving as a sort of mask of what their powers were to those outside the shipwreck zone, not that it would last long.

 

The water was starting to fall back, and their enemies were being dragged with it. Much to both the taller teens surprise, purple balls that were unmistakably Mineta’s started to fly through the air, hitting the villains and attaching them to each other, incapacitating them. ‘Nice! Way to go Mineta!’

 

The three reached the edge of the lake as the water all came pouring back into the emptied lake, all rushing to the center with the captured villains. The greenette saw where he intended for them to land was getting near when he looked back. “Tsu, let go now!”

 

The girl complied as the boy was just a couple meters above her, tongue retracting back into her mouth. Far Reach similarly returned to Midoriya’s hand as he dived down to grab Asui’s arm with his right hand. “Wow, you two are amazing!”

 

They flew above an empty bit of land not far from where Aizawa was fighting. Midoriya threw his left hand out towards the ground before they overshot and Far Reach shot out, latching onto the empty land and pulling all three down to the ground fast.

 

As the three reached their destination they all split apart, rolling across the ground. Midoriya groaned as he started to pick himself up, Asui beside him. “Definitely need to work on my vertical landings.”

 

“Midoriya, bigger problems!” The frog girl warned him and he found out what she meant pretty quick as he looked around. They may have evaded their water based enemies and managed to incapacitate them but there were still villains on the land. A small group of 6 had surrounded them. The boy shifted into a fighting pose and he felt Asui at his back.

 

“Crap, guess this place wasn’t as empty as it looked.” The greenette groaned. He could see Mineta still laying on the ground, possibly having gotten nauseous, not that Midoriya could blame him. If it hadn’t been for his training for One for All he’s probably be feeling sick right now as well.

 

“Hehe, how cute the students have the same hair color and costume scheme! I wonder if they’re related?~” One villain sang, a spear in hand. She jabbed at Midoriya who barely moved his feet in time, the limbs she was aiming for. “Look he’s sweating!”

 

“Careful G, you saw what happened where they came from.” Another warned and Midoriya cursed his luck. He pressed his back into Asui and hoped she realized what he was trying to do. Unfortunately the girl didn’t realize he was trying to converse with her quietly and instead assumed he had been pushed by a villain and walked forward a tiny bit. ‘Drat. Can’t say anything too loud or we’re screwed. What can I do?’

 

Midoriya took a deep breath as his brain started moving in the fast, observant way that had been his blessing so many times already.

 

‘I can’t use One for All again, not right now. I need to save as many shots as I can! Asui can escape from here pretty easy by jumping and take Mineta or me but not both. The villains will still be surrounding whoever is left and if Asui jumps they’ll probably attack. Far Reach could open a spot but it would make them attack still and this time Asui would be caught in it. Maybe…swinging around Far Reach could knock the over enough for us to get out of their trap but…It would be too slow to get them all, a few would realize and duck. If Asui could do the same with her tongue….No I don’t think she has that kind of strength…’

 

The boy let out an audible groan, causing the villains to snigger slightly. ‘Dammit. I need a way to get them all to go down by hitting one, or we’re screwed!’

 

Suddenly his left hand flared up in pain, causing him to shout out. The villains, startled by the boy’s sudden scream moved to attack. Asui instinctevly jumped and Midoriya did the first thing he could think of. “GRAB MINETA!”

 

Midoriya barely dodged out the way of the spear that came at him. Both Mineta and Asui were out of danger at least. The villains turned again to try to attack him and that’s when he noticed it.

 

The villains had dim yellow smoke around their heads all of a sudden. ‘A quirk of theirs?!’

 

The boy instinctively shot his far reach and used it to pull the closest villain of their feet when to his surprise all the villains shot into the air in a similar fashion. It confused him for only a moment before he realized what it had been. ‘A new power? Right now?! That’s not good…”

 

The villains started to pick themselves up and Tsu landed on ground beside him again. The boy wasted no time, whatever the link was he had to use it while he had a chance. 

 

One the villains threw themselves off the ground and started charging at Deku, almost similar to a bull who’d seen red. The pissed off villain pulled their arm back and threw a punch right at the greenette.

 

With only a second to react he did the first thing he could think of and shot Far Reach out. It wrapped around the villains fist and the boy pulled him to the side to throw him off balance. Midoriya followed his instinct and threw his leg forward in a kick, connecting with the villains head.

 

The resounding thud made the boy cringe slightly and the villain fell over. Just a moment later all the other villains who had gotten up fell over similarly. Worried Midoriya did a quick check of the villain’s vitals and was relieved to find he had merely knocked them out.

 

“Midoriya!” Mineta’s voice got his attention and he noticed the two beckoning him to go with them, where they had gotten closer to Aizawa. He ran to their side as he thought about what just happened. ‘I’ll have to tell Ectoplasm as soon as possible. I should avoid using that again for now, just in case.’

 

~~~~

 

“Guys, I still think this is insane! The exit’s right there, we could escape and warn the school.” Mineta reminded them as they hid behind some rubble near where Aizawa was fighting. “We may of got out of that jam back their but we aren’t pro’s! We don’t know how to fight villains and mister Aizawa will probably be super pissed if we try!”

 

“I’m not saying we should get in the middle or anything but we should try to see if we can help him from the sidelines and when he doesn’t have as many villains around him warn him about whatever they have to take All Might!” Midoriya explained as he watched Aizawa deliver a pal strike to one villain, knocking them over. “All three of us are capable of long range attacks if necessary. Me and Tsu can keep tripping up the villains and you can incapacitate them Mineta! Despite all that though we shouldn’t need to do much, mister Aizawa is capable by himself.”

 

“Fine. Just remember Midoriya, we’re only supposed to warn him about whatever they have then we stay the heck away.” Mineta said and Asui ribbited in agreement. “And for the record I don’t have many shots left myself, unless you want me to bleed out.”

 

“Ok. Yeah, we’ll skedaddle the second things look too dangerous for us.” Midroiya nodded, prepared to comply.

 

Aizawa flew through the air using his capture tape and it wrapped around one of the villains. He shot back towards the ground, both feet connecting with the villain’s chest and knocking them out.

 

“Hey g-guys… that one looks like trouble.” Mineta stuttered out, pointing at a villain who had started running at their teacher who had a disembodied hand covering his face. He had blue disheveled and unwashed hair and many more hands all over his body.

 

“Final boss!” Aizawa said, throwing his capture tape at the villain and started rushing to him as his hair flew into the air but the blue haired man grabbed the tape and reached out his hand as he got closer. The teacher however took advantage of it and ducked out the way of the villain’s hand, hitting him in the stomach with an elbow.

 

Unfortunately, that played right into the villain’s hands, literally. The man had Aizawa’s elbow in his hand and their teacher’s hair had fallen back down.

 

“It was hard to see when you were jumping around but I found your tell.” The villain informed him in a horrible, scratchy voice that made Midoriya’s skin crawl. The boy fel like he WOULD be sick when the teachers elbow turned grey and stoney.  “It’s your hair!”

 

‘His arm…What’s he doing?!’ Midoriya exclaimed internally as his eyes widened in shock. Cracks started to form along the surface of Aizawa’s arms.

 

“When it drops it means you’ve stopped using your quirk.” The villain taunted, making the greenette feel queasy. “You’re having to blink more often! Don’t push yourself to hard now, you might fall apart. Wouldn’t that be a shame?”

 

Aizawa barely managed to land a punch on the villain knocking him back and jumped away. As he few backwards through the air Midoriya noticed the elbow no longer had the grey look. His elbow had flesh showing through and the skin was completely gone. The scruffy pro seemed unable to move it at all, the villain had destroyed the man’s elbow!

 

He was surrounded by three of the thugs who he ducked and dodged under but he was clearly starting to get tired. One of the villains, a larger muscular one, threw yet another punch and their teacher noticed too late, scrambling backwards out of the way and almost falling over himself. “That quirk of yours isn’t suited for drawn out fights against big groups, is it?”

 

Midoriya shot his hand forward towards the bigger villain and Far Reach fired forward, wrapping around the villains hand before he could throw another attack. Aizawa immediately took advantage of the sudden aid, kicking the man in the face while he was distracted. He didn’t say anything but his gaze briefly wandered towards the trio.

 

Midoriya expected the man to glare but instead he looked almost scared. He only looked for a moment before looking at the exit and then back to the trio before returning his gaze to his opponents. It wasn’t hard to guess his intended message but The greenette knew he couldn’t listen, not yet. He shook his head and mouthed ‘We need to tell you something!’

 

Whether or not the pro saw or understood, he didn’t indicate as he dodged another attack.

 

“You’re not suited to this kind of thing, Eraserhead! You’re used to stealth and sneak attacks and yet even knowing that, you didn’t hesitate to jump into this fight to put your students at ease.” The blue haired villain laughed as Aizawa dispatched of the villains around him. Midoriya looked around to see if there was any other villains and felt his throat go dry when he saw one had appeared behind their teacher’s back, A large muscular bird like mutant. “By the way hero, I am NOT the final boss.”

 

The pro turned around in shock and the massive villain made to throw a punch, causing Midoriya to try to fire of Far Reach again however before he could Aizawa stopped him. “DON’T!”

 

That was the only word the hero managed to get out before he was smashed into the ground, blood flying into the air, a crater forming. As if that wasn’t enough, the villain lifted the mans head off the ground, only to smash back once more and he kept doing it ‘NO! Mister Aizawa!’

 

Blood splatters stained the ground and all Aizawa did was groan. It at least meant he was still alive but the pain he would be in must have been excruciating.

 

“Mmm, I don’t think you can speak, Eraserhead.” The blue haired villain taunted before turning his gaze directly towards the trio of students, causing all three to freeze up in fear. “So I’ll ask you brats! What do you think of my friend Nomu here? He’s bio-genetically engineered to be the anti-symbol of peace!”

 

‘So…That’s what they have…We failed…we didn’t warn Aizawa in time…’

 

The greenette stood up, if only to face the villain with a glare. Terror was gripping him but he refused to give the blue-haired bastard the satisfaction of seeing him cower and hide.

 

“I think you’re insane.” Midoriya answered honestly. “Plan or no, there’s no way that thing is strong enough to beat All Might.”

 

“Oh really?!” The villain cackled manically. “Interesting, I disagree but maybe i'll indulge that notion! I do enjoy the idea of putting my own personal touch on the number one ‘hero’s’ death anyways!”

 

“Deku…Ru-AGH!H!” Aizawa tried to speak to the students but before could finish Nomu twisted the hero’s bad arm in a violent fashion, casuing the greenette to flinch and the unkempt villain to cackle.

 

“See children, your teacher’s quirk for erasing stuff is annoying, but nothing impressive. When faced with real power, he might as well be quirkless runt!” The blue haired man scratched his neck as he continued to mock them.

 

Mister Aizawa barely managed to turn his head to the massive villain and his hair shot up once more but less than a second later his arm was stomped into the ground, causing cracks in the ground and making the man scream.

 

‘That was Mister Aizawa’s power being used! Does that mean that the villain…is super strong even without a quirk?!

 

“We can’t keep watching this!” Mineta whispered in panic and Asui let out a scared sounding ribbit. “We should be getting out of here super-fast when they look away shouldn’t we?!”

 

“Tomura Shigraki!” A new voice appeared before the boy could answer and they smoke-teleport villain from before showed up beside the hand covered villain.

 

“Kurogiri. Did you manage to kill thirteen?” Shigaraki, as he was apparently called, asked the new arrival. ‘Oh no…Please don’t tell me…’

 

“The rescue hero is out of commission but I’m afraid there was a student I was unable to apprehend. He had a quirk that made him fast and he escaped to call for reinforcements.” Kurogiri informed his boss. ‘Fast? That must be Iida! Hopefully that means help will be here soon.’

 

Clearly the dishevelled villain had realized the same thing as he started to scratch at himself as if thinking and as each second past the scratching got more violent and erratic. “Kurogiri! You idiot! If you weren’t our warp gate I’d tear apart every last atom in your body!”

 

The scratching stopped and the villain hunched over. "There's no way we can win if dozens of pros arrive to stop us. Its game over, back to the main menu…dammit, and I was looking forward to finishing this today. Dammit! Lets go home, Kurogiri.”

 

‘They’re just gonna leave, just like that?!’ Midoriya found himself surprised. Was it really going to be that easy?!

 

Of course not, he shouldn't have let his guard down. Shigaraki suddenly turned and rushed straight towards the trio, jumping into the air. “First, I want at least one kill for the road. CRUSH THE HEROES SPIRITS A LITTLE, DESTROY HIS PRIDE! MAKE SURE IT HURTS!”

 

He was moving fast, too fast to get an aim on.

 

Right towards Asui.


	12. Izuku vs Nomu

crapcrapcrAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!

 

 

Shigaraki was right on top of the three students, mere seconds away from ending Asui’s life. Deku could see it happening, see the exact point of contact. The world went red as his friend disappeared in a particle of dust.

 

Then he snapped back to reality, violently. Shigaraki was still moving towards them yet had not arrived. It was only a matter of a few seconds now and the boy refused to hesitate again!

 

Energy coursed through his body, the familiar feeling of One for All sparking to life inside him. Before the greenette could even spring into action though, the villain was upon them, hand over Asui’s face.

 

However nothing happened. Everyone stood frozen for a moment at the sudden lack of power. The villains sighed. “You really are so cool….Eraserhead.”

 

The pro was very barely holding his head up, keeping the villain from doing anything but Midoriya knew it wouldn’t last at all. He charged at the villain as he saw red. ‘This ones clearly not like the rest, I gotta get Asui out of here now!’ “Get the hell away from my friend!”

 

“SMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

 

From the point of contact of his fist, wind blew violently everywhere like a hurricane. Asui and Mineta were thrown off their feet and the ground beneath them cracked all over. The water that had returned to the shipwrecks zone had violently crashing waves all of a sudden and poles in the ground of the facility came flying out.

 

He looked down had his eyes widened in shock. His arm didn’t have any of the class signs of damage it usually did. ‘What? My arms not broken! I can’t believe it! After all the training, NOW is when I’m able to get a good smash in? Alright! Wait but with all this damage…’

 

For the briefest moments, the boy was worried he had gone too far but when the dust cleared…

 

Whether it was to his relief or to his horror, he saw he hadn’t connected with the villain he intended to. Instead, the Nomu had managed to rush in to take the hit and was almost completely unfazed, merely pushed back from where he’d been standing a little. The massive villain glared down at the greenette with its dead eyes.

 

“Where did you come from!?” Midoriya exclaimed in surprise as he quickly glanced around for his classmates. Asui and Mineta weren’t too far away, they had been knocked closer to Aizawa somehow by the blast though. The boy finally registered that Nomu had no scratches on him at all.

 

‘ _If the villains spent so long planning out this attack then they probably found a way to kill him.’_

 

“No way…”

 

“Tch…You’re pretty powerful! And here I was thinking you were the ones who did that tentacle thing. That smash of yours, by chance are you one of All Might’s disciples?” Shigaraki asked as he scratched his neck. “Doesn’t matter, you brats are getting on my nerves.”

 

Midoriya barely jumped out the way as Nomo threw a fist at him. However instead of turning around to try again the giant villain rushed beside Asui, who barely grabbed Mineta in her tongue and threw him towards the exit.

 

“Nomu wait.” Shigaraki called out, as he stood over Aizawa. He looked straight at Midoriya with a wicked glint in his eye. The beast was right in front of Asui, who would almost undoubtedly be caught if she made to escape. The blue haired lunatic hovered a hand above Aizawa, who seemed to have finally lost consciousness as Nomu stood ready to attack Asui. “You, green boy. You annoy me. You could have just let me be and I would be gone now, you’re the one who didn’t let me get my kill. I refuse to leave without at least one kill, but I’ll tell you what, YOU can decide WHO dies!”

 

The psychopath gestured towards Nomu with a slight cackle. “Like I already said, Nomu is bio-genetically engineered to be the anti-All Might. Everything from his body, to his quirks are designed to take on the symbol of peace.”

 

‘Wait quirks?! PLURAL?’

 

“You already saw one of his in action when you so unheroically tried to kill me.” Shigaraki’s voice started to take on a mocking tone. “Shock absorption, you’re pathetic super strength does nothing. And I’m sure even a brat like you is smart enough to realize that if he’s designed to go toe to toe with All Might then a pathetic little runt can’t do a thing. So this is what’s going to happen, I’m going to disintegrate you’re pest of a teacher and Nomu is gonna crush your little friends head.”

 

“No!” The boy immediately went to move but Shigaraki merely laughed and got closer to Aizawa.

 

“Try to save someone if you want brat, but even using you’re quirk you can’t save them both!”

 

 

The villains both got closer to their intended targets as cold sweat trickled down Midoriya’s neck. He only had a couple seconds to do something. ‘Dammit, what do I do?! Far Reach only comes out as one tentacle and If use One for All I’ll break, even if I did I can’t move fast enough to-‘

 

A warm crackle of energy in his legs.

 

A sharp pain, like fire in his left hand.

 

 

 

‘That’s it!’

 

 

 

Midoriya jumped towards Asui, energy coursing through his legs and in an instant she was in his grasp as they two flew past Nomu. At the exact same instance he got her into his grip he shot out his left hand, Far Reach firing and wrapping around Shigaraki’s waist.

 

Midoriya pulled hard as he flew through the air, yanking Shigaraki far away from the pro. The blue haired villain went rolling across the ground and Asui and the greenette started to fall to the ground as well.

 

“Listen Tsu, only have a few seconds to explain so listen! Grab Aizawa and run, I’ll distract the big villain! If I stop moving when we land I’ll be broke but if I keep moving I’ll be safe so your own your own from here!” He explained before throwing the frog girl out of his grasp.

 

The girl followed his instructions without question as she was flying through in the air, tongue grabbing the pro before she turned and ran for the exit. Nomu started to chase after and that’s when Midoriya took his opportunity, kicking his feet into the ground at launching towards the massive villain.

 

‘Even after Tsu and Aizawa are safe, I can’t stop fighting. If this guy is meant to fight All Might then most of our class will be dead if he roams free and finds them!’ The boy thought as his fist collided solidly with the beak of the monstrosity, knocking the villains head to the side. Midoriya landed on the ground and shot towards the sky, on the ceiling in less than a few seconds before launching right back towards the villain and hitting him in the stomach, knocking him back ever so slightly. ‘Shigaraki said his quirk was absorption, which means he still has to take in the shock. If I can hit him hard enough or enough times that he can’t defend the same amount of strength anymore then All Might will probably be able to take him out!’

 

The boy felt his feet land on the ground once more and he shot backwards, flipping himself around in the air to see where he was landing. He was heading straight towards the fire zone. His feet touched one of the concrete buildings for just a moment before he was launching right back at Nomu, the building caving in behind him from the force. ‘Dammit, the more I jump around like this, the more collateral damage there will be. Gotta be careful, I really hope no one was in there.’

 

“YOU PEST!” Shigaraki screamed out as he glared at him. “NOMU, KILL HIM!”

 

The muscular villain rushed forward, to throw a punch right at the teen who was rocketing closer. The boy shot his left hand forward, and Far Reach wrapped around the massive arm. Using it to his advantage Midoriya yanked down hard causing the bird like villain to stagger forward, allowing him to fly over the villain’s fist and land a solid kick to the back of the villains head before escaping to the roof once more. ‘I’ve managed to knock him back a few times, just by a little bit. I probably can’t beat him really, but I have the same quirk as All Might, amplified, so I can at least hold him off until the pro’s arrive. My strength is just a tiny bit above what his quirk can defend against but that’s all I need.’

 

The greenette flew back towards the center of the facility but this time, Nomu leapt into the air, meeting him halfway through the air. The villain brought a knee up that the greenette barely managed to avoid. Far Reach wrapped around the stomach of the villain and Midoriya activated One for All in his arms as he pulled the villain around, above his head before launching him into the ground, causing a crater. ‘Dammit, at this distance they’re too hard to see. Wait…idiot! You can fix that!’

 

The world became coated in a sepia tone after the boy blinked and he could see the three villains on the ground. The boy aimed a flick behind him and shot towards the ground from the pressure in the air, landing a solid kick into the stomach of Nomu before catapulting away into the air once more. ‘Need to keep an eye on my classmates as well, just in case.’

 

The boy blinked again and not far away he saw the green silhouettes of his class mates fighting. As the boy did a quick survey of the situation he saw that not all his class mates were doing well. Not too far away, in what he presumed to be a landslide zone, he could see one of his classmates had gotten frozen in a giant ice attack.

 

Midoriya was brought back to his own reality when Nomu was suddenly upon him. Reacting on instinct he punched the air, putting distance between him and the villain but rocketing him towards to the ground back first. “Crap!”

 

He barely managed to flip himself in time to land on all fours and leap up into the air once more, similarly to how Asui might. He aimed Far Reach and it wrapped around the foot of Nomu who was falling to the ground.

 

He pulled himself closer and charged One for All in his leg. He was charging right up at Nomu and his foot connected with the monsters chin, launching both them further into the air before they proceeded to fall again. He aimed Far Reach once more but this time aimed for the ceiling as Nomu fell once more.

 

‘I want to help whoever that was in the landslide zone but there’s no way it would be good if I brought this guy.’ Midoriya though as he kicked off the roof, destroying some of the only lights left. He hit the ground, and launched towards the giant villain who had taken a moment to return to the other two who…were taking on fighting stances? ‘Oh no!’

 

Purple wispy smoke started to coat the ground beneath the boy, ready to pull him to some other place but just before they could finish forming the boy shot off into the air. ‘Oh great, play into their hands why don’t you! Think, what do you do now?!’

 

Shigaraki rushed at him next as the smoke dissipated, trying to disintegrate him. Midoriya threw out his hand, Far Reach firing once more and wrapping around Shigaraki’s body. The villain tried to dodge out the way but the tentacle homed in on its target, changing direction to catch him. The boy flicked at the ground, pushing upwards, where Nomu leapt to attack him.

 

“Perfect. Bird brain! CATCH!” The greenette shouted out as he swung the blue haired villain over his head and right into the massive monsters head, distracting both of them and allowing Midoriya to leap back to safety, right back to above the entrance of the USJ.

 

“DEKU?!” He heard what was unmistakably Uraraka’s voice call out in surprise but he didn’t have time to focus on that, he couldn’t let Nomu rush him up here where other students were. He could see Mineta and Asui with Aizawa among them.

 

“IM FINE!” The boy quickly assured them, Dark Vision finally running out as he shot off towards the villains once more. However as he shot forward a gigantic crash drew his attention back to the entrance while he flew through the air.

 

Smoke covered where the exit was as footsteps rang out, however after just a moment it dissipated to show All Might walking forward, in his buff form.

 

“HAVE NO FEAR STUDENTS!” The muscular hero almost growled out. “I AM HERE!”

 

Midoriya felt relief and worry course over him all at once as he noticed one little detail.

 

 

 

 

“He’s here…All Might…”

 

“…and he’s not smiling…”

 

 

 

 

The boy, aimed a flick in front of him to launch him back towards to the pro.

 

“-And Midoriya is fighting him right now! You have to help him!” He heard Asui say to the pro as he landed underneath the sign at the front of the stairs, gripping onto the pole and swing backwards and forwards to retain enough momentum. “Midoriya! Ribbit.”

 

"Young Midoriya! Get to recovery girl right away!" The blonde commanded him. “If you continue going like what young Asui told me you could get exhausted and break in the middle of a bunch of villains!”

 

“Sorry, I can’t! There’s someone trapped in the landslide zone who needs help, I’m going to get them first.” The greenette explained. “Be careful! That bird villain managed to withstand One f-I mean I’ve hit him multiple times full power and he’s only been knocked back a bit, I managed to wear him down a bit though, I think.”

 

"Midoriya wait!” The pro shouted but it was too late, Midoriya landed on the ground and launched into the air. He threw his hand out and used to Far Reach to get closer to the ground, running towards the land slide zone. ‘I hope he knows what my smashes being very barely effective means. His smashes can do more damage sure, but Nomu will still power through. I managed to knock him back but…He recovered just fine every time, I didn’t even put a dent in him. All Might should be able to do more than me though at least. My quirk is his amplified but, he’s still stronger than me, mine is still developing....’

 

He felt guilty disobeying All Might like that but he couldn’t leave whoever had gotten encapsulated in the ice. Using Far Reach to pull him forward it only took a minute or two to be closing on his location.

 

He activated his Dark Vision once more and saw the person who had been trapped. He jumped into the air and punched into the ice, destroying it completely as it all cracked and shattered.

 

“Are you alright?!” Midoriya asked concerned as he hoped from one foot to the other and Dark Vision deactivated showing him just who it was. However not from what he could, but rather what he couldn’t. Standing up was just a floating pair of boots and gloves. “Hagakure?!”

 

“M-M-Midoriya?” The girl chattered out. Not too far away, a sudden smoke cloud appeared in the air as well as a loud crash, presumably from All Might causing the boy to almost fall over. “I-i-is t-that y-y-you?”

 

“Yeah, grab on, I’ll get you to the entrance!” The greenette told her getting closer so she could hold onto him. He tried to not to freeze up about the fact a naked girl was currently pressed against him and started to run back to the entrance. ‘Don’t freeze up now, she’s probably got hypothermia or something if she was trapped in their too long.’

 

He utilized his Far Reach again, rushing back to the entrance. ‘Dammit this is taking too long.’ “Hold on tight!”

 

He felt the girls arms tighten around his neck as he leapt into the air with One for All, landing on top the sign from before and jumping down to the others. All Might had rushed off to take care of the villains and the students were carrying the teachers out. There was only one person who didn’t have a teacher in their grasp.

 

“SERO!” Midoriya shouted, getting the whole groups attention, who stood and waited as he rushed up to them. The boy turned on the spot, still hopping from foot to foot. “Take Hagakure! She got caught in an ice attack and probably has frostbite or something. She was completely encased in there.”

 

“Oh crap!” The tape producing student quickly helped the girl off the greenette’s back and onto his. “Alright, we’ll get her to recovery girl with the others ASAP.”

 

“Thanks! “ Midoriya said and once he felt the weight of the girl was gone he ran back to the fight.  As he sprinted his vision once more changed to its sepia filtered version and he flinched when he saw his mentor and the massive bird monster in combat as Nomu punched All Might in his wounded stomach. The world then returned to normal, smoke covering his vision quickly as the boy felt a pressure in his eyes. ‘Crap! I’ve got to be careful. I won’t use Dark Vision again until absolutely necessary for my eyes sake.’

 

“MIDORIYA! WAIT! ALL MIGHT CAN HANDLE IT!” Mineta shouted at him, the others making noises of agreement.

 

“He can if I have anything to say about it!” Was all Midoriya replied as he leaped into the air and landed on the roof, before shooting off and landing in the center, rushing towards where Nomu and All Might had started to clash. ‘I didn’t do as much damage to Nomu as I wanted to, it’s like every time he only needed a second to recover and come back just as strong. I have an idea why, and I really hope I’m wrong. If I’m not…’

 

_‘Wait quirks?! PLURAL?’_

**_‘ _U.A.’s Newest Faculty Member: The #1 Hero All Might; Resolves multiple incidents this morning's’__ **

_The teachers hadn’t told the class why the man hadn’t shown up but Midoriya had seen their other teacher Thirteen hold up three fingers to Aizawa._

_Three fingers. Three hours. All Might had exceeded his time limit._

****

 

‘He was absent because he used too much of his power, he shouldn’t be using One for All now. Every second he spends fighting here, he pushes himself further than he can handle, I’m the only one here who realizes just what kind of trouble he could be in. I mean, its All Might so he’s still more than strong enough to take down Nomu, right?’

 

_All Might’s shirt was lifted as the blonde sat against a railing in his skinny form, a massive wound visible on his stomach that had an almost flower like pattern from the stitches. “Pretty gross, right? I got this in a big fight five years back. My respiratory system was completely destroyed, I lost my whole stomach. All the surgeries have completely worn me out and it can’t be fixed. Right now I can only do hero work for two to three hours a day. The rest of the time? This is what I look like.”_

 

‘If he has the quirk I think he does, then maybe all that strength won’t matter, especially if All Might’s pushing his limits. I can’t just rush in to fight, I already did and all I accomplished was imminent broken limbs and angering the villains.’

 

_“I’m the guy who’s always smiling right? The symbol of peace. People everywhere have to think I’m never afraid but…honestly kid, I smile to hide the fear inside. It’s just a brave face I put on when the pressure is high. This job isn’t easy.”_

 

‘Everyone’s rooting for him, but they don’t know what kind of trouble he’s actually in. I can’t take down Nomu but I can help All Might do it and make sure he doesn’t get pushed too far! I just have to-ALL MIGHT NO!’

 

Midoriya arrived at the scene as the smoke began to clear, revealing Nomu had managed to get ahold of the pro. All Might was bent backwards, holding the villain as if he had attempted a suplex on the bird creature, likely in an attempt to bury the villain. However it had backfired, as the smoke of the ‘Kurogiri’ villain was on the ground beneath them.

  
Nomu had come out a second smoke portal and grabbed onto the blonde’s injury, fingers digging into the wound. Blood was dripping from All Might’s mouth and could hear that Shigaraki was chuckling at the sight.

 

Energy started to build inside Midoriya’s body

 

“Nice. You were trying to bury him in the concrete so he couldn’t move. Nomu is as strong as you are, that won’t stop him.” The psychopath explained. “Nice work Kurogiri, we’ve got him right were w-WHAT THE?!“

 

Midoriya wasted no time when he saw the predicament, launching forward and kicking Nomu hard in the face, allowing All Might to get out the way and sending the bird villain flying out of the portal and somehow into Kurogiri’s feet, knocking the warp villain over as well.

 

Shigaraki turned to run after his allies, to help them and put some distance between himself and All Might. The pro turned to Midoriya, who was hopping from foot to foot, with a look almost akin to an irritated glare though surprise was clearly written across his face as well.

 

“Young Midoriya! What are you doing here?! I appreciate the help but it’s too dangerous to stay here! Get to the entrance now.” The blonde commanded as he turned to face the villains who had started to recover from the surprise attack.

 

“No All Might! We both know why you can’t stay here alone. I promise I’ll try to stay out you’re way as much as possible but I already hesitated with Mister Aizawa and now he might be dying because of me. I’m not making that mistake again if you need help!” Midoriya explained, voice filled determination. He refused to be moved on this. “I think that bird villain has some form of regeneration, I’ve been able to do some damage but it’s like he comes back just as strong if he has even a second to breathe.”

 

“Midoriya you shouldn’t….Damn it, you’re not going to back down on this are you?” All Might asked, voice sounding both irritated and proud at the same time somehow. The pro’s blue eyes seemed to be calculating something before he sighed in frustration. The villains had picked themselves up and were beginning to rush at the two. “If you managed to overpower him….Fine. I can’t deny I’ll need all the help I can get against this guy right now but you had better stay out of the way and ONLY on my cue, smash that bird villain!”

 

“Yes Sir!” The greenette nodded his head in understanding as he retreated to a safer distance using One for All and watched the fight from afar.

 

Nomu rushed at All Might, who was much more prepared this time as he disappeared out of the way faster than Midoriya could track with his eyes, appearing once more however this time behind the warp villain who he delivered a swift uppercut to and knocked back.

 

Shigaraki responded immediately, attempting to disintegrate the blonde however he dodged out of the way and Midoriya realized that Nomu had also been attempting to grab the pro. The blue haired villains hands connected with the massive birds arm causing it to turn grey and Stoney, before it crumbled into the wind.

 

Shigaraki leapt back in surprise as Nomu shrieked in a horrible bird-like voice, befitting the monstrosity. After just a couple of second though a new arm seemed to take place, slowly coming into being via the flesh and then the skin.

 

“Guess the kid was right! You CAN regenerate!” All Might exclaimed as he tried to hit the villains face however the monster dodged out the way. “But even with all your quirks, there’s no way that didn’t hurt! Shock absorption and Regeneration can’t do anything against old-fashioned exhaustion I’ll bet!”

 

Midoriya felt a grin start to form on his face watching his mentor fight, even if worry did creep in the back of his mind. However it quickly fell as he noticed the man start to back away to quickly grab a breath, right towards a portal Kurogiri was opening up.

 

“ALL MIGHT, LOOK OUT!” Midoriya shouted as he used Far Reach to pull him towards the scene and kick off the ground, shooting towards the warp villain to try to force him to dissipate the portal.

 

“NOMU, GET THE BRAT!” Shigaraki screamed at the bird monster, who rushed after Midoriya, grabbing the boy’s arm and pulling him into the air. Midoriya gritted his teeth as he landed a solid punch charged by One for All into the bird villains face however it had an unwanted side effect as the villain threw him through the air, letting him go from the pain and sending him flying through the air. 

 

As he went flying away from the scene, he saw the blonde fall into the portal he had tried to warn him about and get caught half-way through.

 

He felt himself falling towards the ground and did his best to manage a roll and start to move again, it hurt like hell and he was sure he had just twisted something but he couldn’t stop now less things get worse. ‘This whole moving keeps the body together thing is really turning out to be as much an annoyance as a help.’

 

 

The greenette tried to run back, though it would be more accurate to say he was limping as fast as his could let him and he felt his blood run cold.

 

The portal All Might was stuck in was starting to squeeze shut.

 

He couldn’t use One for All to catapult himself like this and he was too far for Far Reach to get him close fast. He noticed though the mass of the blonde seemed to be preventing it from closing, likely buying sometime. The pro tried to wriggle free but Nomu grabbed the blonde’s lower half through another nearby portal, holding him down. ‘Nononono! There’s no way I can get close to Kurogiri with Nomu there, they know I’m coming now! This can’t be how it ends! There’s got to be something I can do dammit!’

 

 

The greenette shot his left hand out on instinct the second he was in range, the familiar sensation of energy and pain flaring inside his hand as the tendrils shot out and merge into the massive tentacle that was his Far Reach.

 

The tentacle landed on the ground near the villain and launched Midoriya through the air. ‘Almost there. Dammit! I don’t care how strong Nomu’s shock absorption is or fast his regeneration is, I swear I will beat those powers before I let him hurt anyone!’

 

He was right on top of the villains now, arm pulled back for a punch, the familiar warmth of the energy of One for All starting to flow. Nomu would let go of All Might to stop him, Midoriya would flick his fingers to use the wind pressure and dodge and then he’d get the warp villain.

 

 

Unfortunately, Midoriya forget to account for one thing. He knew nothing about these villains, any strategy had a lot of assumptions to be made and assumption weren’t always right. He could be wrong about any idea he had.

 

The sudden purple and black wispy smoke before him with its piercing yellow eyes proved as much. Kurogiri had been the one to show up in his path, yellow eyes glaring at him as the boy travelled right towards the smoke that could teleport him anywhere.

 

He couldn’t stop! He was going to be teleported to who knows where and he couldn’t do anything about it!


	13. Interlude: New Arrival

He couldn’t stop! He was going to be teleported to who knows where and he couldn’t do anything about it!

 

Midoriya’s eyes widened in shock and horror, what could he do?!

 

The portal inched closer and closer, he was so close to going through.

 

 

BOOM!

 

 

“GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY DEKU!” A familiar shout of rage reached Midoriya’s ears as he landed on his feet and leapt back out the way, Bakugou appearing in front of him, exploding the warp villain.

 

Midoriya started hooping from foot to foot as the blonde grabbed the metal plating on the warp villain and forced the man to the ground with a loud smash.

 

Ice suddenly started coating the floor, Nomu’s entire right side getting frozen from it. The greenette’s head snapped to the side to see Todoroki standing there with a glare. “One of your poorly trained thugs told me you’re here because you think you can beat All Might.”

 

THUD!

 

All Might immediately landed a solid kick on Nomu’s face, freeing him from the villains grip and the pro immediately tore his way out of the portal, landing near Todoroki.

 

 

“AHHH!” A voice screamed out and Midoriya looked up to see Kirishima falling through the air towards Shigaraki, who barely dodged. Kirishima didn’t give chase and instead jumped back out the way. “Damn, that was gonna be so cool.”

 

“Guess I found your body that time you smokey bastard!” Bakugou taunted the warp villain.

 

“The symbol of peace will not be defeated by delinquents like you.” Todoroki stated simply, face stoic. Midoriya felt relief flow through him.

 

“Kacchan….Everyone…” He felt a small smile grace his features and tears prick his eyes as a sudden new jolt of energy rushed through him. ‘Almost all the heavy hitters are here. With all of us together, we can help All Might!’

 

Shigaraki just stared at them all, his expression hidden behind the hand on his face. He slowly turned his head and in his horrible, scratchy, angry voice he asked “Kurogiri, how could you let this brat get the best of you?! You’ve gotten us inti a real jam here…”

 

“You got careless you dumb villain! It wasn’t hard to figure you out.” Bakugou started to explain with a shit-eating grin. “Only certain parts of you turn into that smoking warp gate, you use that mist to hide your body as a kind of distraction, thinking that made you safe. That’s why we missed. But if you didn’t have a body, you wouldn’t be wearing this neck armor, right?! You’re not immune to physical attacks if they are well aimed.”

 

Midoriya’s eyes widened in shock, he had completely failed to try to figure out the villain, having been so focused on fighting Nomu and Bakugou had already figure out the key to beating the warp villain. The smoke suddenly started to rise and the yellow eyes narrowed into a glare but before the villain could do anything explosions went off from Bakugou’s hand as a vicious grin appeared on the boy’s face.

 

“Don’t move! Try anything and I’ll blow your ass up so bad they’ll be piecing you back together for weeks.” The blonde threatened, causing Midoriya to sweat drop. ‘Jesus Christ, Kacchan…Actually should I be saying ‘Outsider help me’ now? Not the time!’

 

 

“Ohh, that’s not sounding very heroic.” Kirishima teased with a slightly nervous smile.

 

Everyone sans Midoriya froze as clapping started to sound. All eyes landed on Shigaraki, who was producing the noise. He pointed to the three new arrivals first. “You escaped uninjured, captured my two best men…”

 

He then swiveled around to point at Midoriya with a bit more vigor as more obvious anger seeped into his voice. “You, you annoying brat, took on my Nomu and quite frankly, even I have to admit if it wasn’t for his multiple quirks you would have wiped the floor with my strongest fighter. I hate that but I also have to admit I respect just how much it speaks towards your strength. I think I’ll enjoy killing you just as much as I’ll enjoy killing All Might. Kids these days really are amazing. You make the League of villains look like amateurs. Can’t have that.”

 

All Might suddenly shot up as if worried. “EVERYONE BACK-“

 

“Nomu.” Shigaraki said simply, and the bird monster suddenly seemed to come alive as a screech emitted from him.  He made to walk forward and his frozen limbs fell off, knocking the creature over for just a moment.

 

Everyone but All Might and Midoriya were overcome by shock. Kirishima piped up in surprise. “How the hell is that thing still going? He’s all messed up.”

 

“STAY BACK STUDENTS!”

 

Blood burst from where the limbs used to be as more started to grow, muscle forming rapidly, pulsing and making everyone feel sick just watching, before flesh then formed around the arms.

 

“What the hell is he!?” Todoroki shouted out, his normally stoic demeanor breaking from the shock.

 

“Shock Absorption, Regeneration and a few other littler quality of life quirks, Nomu has been genetically modified to take All Might on at one hundred percent.” The blue haired maniac boasted with pride. “He’s basically a highly efficient punching bag who punches back.”

 

Everyone sans Bakugou and Midoriya, who was still doing his best to stay moving about, got into fighting positions. “First, we need our method of escape back. Get him Nomu.”

 

Midoriya felt a sudden rush through his body, the world seemed to slow as he watched Nomu rush towards Bakugou. Already less than half the original distance gone. The only one who still seemed to be in real time was All Might. The sensation only lasted a moment before it was suddenly gone again.

 

Dust and water flew everywhere from where Nomu had stopped and thrown a punch, right towards Bakugou. The ground cracked all over and a wall nearby exploded. Everyone was swept away and Midoriya felt his limbs start to ache.

 

“No no NO!” he shouted. ‘Not now, Stay together! Come on. UGH I REFUSE TO BREAK NOW!’

 

The boy felt the ground beneath him scraping him, he let himself roll as he let out hisses of pain but as he started to slow he used his hands to jump into the air slightly and keep running with the momentum, trying to turn and run back. He barely managed and the pain building in his limbs spoke to that fact. “KACCHAN!”

 

“IM BEHIND YOU, YOU STUPID NERD!”

 

The boy finally managed to slow, and he turned as he started hopping from foot to foot once more. He couldn’t keep doing this, his body was starting to feel the exhaustion from the constant movement, it was a miracle he had gone this long without feeling tired. “You dodged?”

 

“Shut up, no I didn’t, you damn nerd. And- Deku, you’re arm.”Bakugou growled the last part out and all eyes landed upon the greenette’s right arm. He hadn’t even realized it had finally gone.

 

“Midoriya, perhaps you shouldn’t stay here.” Todoroki said simply, as Midoriya hopped back to everyone. “You’ve been limping and battered the whole time. You need medical attention.”

 

“No.” Midoriya shook his head vigorously as he hopped in place beside Kirishima. “If I can move, I can help.”

 

“Manly dude.” Kirishima said with a grin that almost immediately faltered. “Wait then how did Bakugou get here?!”

 

Todoroki spoke up. “Isn’t it obvious?”

 

The four boys looked back to where the blonde had almost been hit and the smoke started to clear, revealing All Might with his arms up to block Nomu’s attack, coughing and panting heavily. Midoriya felt worry grip his heart. “All Might!”

 

“These are kids….and you didn’t hold back?!” The pro asked, voice brimming with indignant anger. Shigaraki seemed to just shrug as he walked forward.

 

“I didn’t have much choice, he was threating my companion.” The maniac said non-chalantly before turning to point at Midoriya. “The hoppy powerhouse? He tried to kill me with a full power smash. I’m sure you saw the damage that one punch alone did earlier even when Nomu blocked it. You’ve got some real monsters here, All Might. What kind of hero does something like that? You think you can be as violent as you want if you say it’s for the sake of others. Well you know what All Might? That pisses me off. Why do people get to decide some violent acts are heroic and others are villainous? Casting judgement as to what’s good and what’s evil. You think you’re the symbol of peace? Ha, you’re just another government sponsored instrument of violence. And violence always breeds more violence.”

 

“You’re a lunatic. Villains like you always try to make your actions sound noble but admit it, you’re only doing this because you like it!” All might accused with a glare. A rustling drew the student’s attention to behind them.

 

“What the?” Kirishima asked quietly. The rustling stopped and some footsteps were heard. “Hey, get out here!”

 

The red head made to run but he was held back by Todoroki. “Wait. It’s likely just another inexperienced thug. All Might needs as many hands here as possible, we’ve got them outnumbered. Midoriya, if you still want to help with that battered body than that guy should be pretty easy for you to deal with.”

 

The greenette hesitated, Todoroki was right. Of the four he was starting to become the least useful, he knew he couldn’t have long left to be an important player. Still for the same reason he couldn’t just leave All Might when the man was past his limit. ‘If I just knew if he’s still able to hold up his muscle form for now…’

 

“Don’t worry Midobro. These guys act tough but we can take em down now with All Might’s help. We’ll be fine.” Kirishima reassured him, hands hardening as a smirk appeared upon the shirtless boy’s face. “Let’s do this.”

 

“Don’t attack!” All Might shouted out and Midoriya sighed. He knew he was going to confuse the others by doing this and would need to explain himself later but right now, he had to know.

 

“All Might! Time?!”  He asked simply, drawing looks. The muscular blonde only spared a quick glance in his direction before flashing a thumbs up. ‘Good. He’s good.’ “Ok, I’ve got the guy behind us. Call me right back if anything happens.”

 

“Go Midoriya, we’ll stay here.” Todoroki said simply, and Bakugou let off a small explosion.

 

“Fuck you Icy, don’t tell me what to do! Deku piss off, we’re stayin!” He raged. The greenette sweat dropped. ‘That’s just what Todoroki said but more vulgar.

 

Midoriya ran around the bush and saw a villain not too far trying to slink around a corner. ‘Oh no you don’t!’

 

Far Reach fired out and dragged Midoriya through the air, closing the distance quickly. His broken arm threw him off balance and made it hard to aim however he landed relatively ok, only stumbling slightly. He hoped he wouldn’t be forced to stray too far from Nomu and All Might.

 

Loud thuds and a sudden massive gust of wind informed him that the two had almost definitely started fighting. ‘Better wrap this up quickly.’

 

He twisted around one final corner and was caught by surprise, the thug had stopped running and was standing with a massive grin on his face. Midoriya clenched his fists. “That’s enough! The rest of the league of villains is down, just give up so I can get back to the fight.”

 

What left the villains mouth next would really throw Midoriya for a loop. The start of a path from which he’d never walk back.

 

“League of villains? Pitiful next to me, I’ll have you know. I work for my own agenda.” He explained with a cold voice and a hint of twisted amusement in the villains eyes. The villain looked away and when he looked back, Midoriya almost shouted out in shock. “I could care less about getting rid of such an insignificant insect as All Might. No, I’m here for the only one who matters. I’m here for you, _Izuku Midoriya._ ”

 

The villain’s eyes were the same endless black as the outsiders.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're going to hit what could be a pretty controversial decision soon. How exciting /S


	14. All Might vs Nomu

All Might cursed everything as he stomped towards the ghastly creation of the league of villains, Nomu. He should have rushed over as soon as he had felt something was wrong.

 

His students, his friends and his successor had been fighting for their lives, could be too far gone already and where had he been?!

 

He had been using the restroom and getting lectured by Nezu.

 

_The flushing of the toilet quieted down as Toshinori walked back into the break room where Nezu was sipping a glass of tea. He couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong._

_‘Why aren’t Aizawa or Thirteen returning my texts? They have their phones.’_

_“Sir.” The blonde spoke up, attracting the odd creature that was the principal’s attention. “I appreciate the tea, truly but I can’t shake this sinking feeling in my stomach somethings wrong. And before you say it, no its not just my injury making bathroom breaks harder.”_

_“Very well. A hero must always be prepared to listen to their gut instinct in a crisis.” Nezu said as he continued to sip the tea. “I am doubtful there will be any issues but if there are please call me directly, I will be waiting.”_

_“Yes sir.”_

 

_~~~~_

 

_It took all his willpower not to scream when he ran into Iida near the school entrance, panting and frantically raving about villains._

_“Young Iida! Slow down and tell me what happened slowly.” The pro requested and the blue haired teen took a deep breathe._

_“Villains, roughly a hundred, maybe two hundred, infiltrated the USJ during class, most of the class was split! Thirteen was seriously injured when I managed to escape to request backup!” Iida explained and All Might let out an audible growl._

_“Thank you for informing me young Iida. Go to the breakroom immediately, principal Nezu is there. Tell him what you have told me and tell him I am heading there now.” All might instructed his student before leaping into the air, towards the USJ. ‘These villains have made a mistake they will pay for, I’ll make sure of that much.’_

_~~~~_

 

_He busted the door to the facility open, smoke flying everywhere from his forceful punch. As he busted in he saw the relived faces of Uraraka, Asui, Ashido, Mineta, Satou and Sero beside the fallen bodies of his colleagues._

_“Students, are you alright?!” He asked worriedly. Most of the students all just nodded but young Asui ran up to him with worry written all of her face._

_“All Might! You need to hurry. There’s this huge bird monster guy who almost killed us, he’s meant to fight you and Midoriya is fighting him right now! You have to help him!” She ranted to him worriedly when a loud clang brought both student and teachers attention to the sign above the stairs where his successor was swinging from. “Midoriya! Ribbit.”_

_"Young Midoriya! Get to recovery girl right away!" The blonde commanded him. It wasn’t hard to see how bad a shape the boy was in, while there was no physical damage yet the blonde could tell it was inevitable and he looked so tired. “If you continue going like what young Asui told me you could get exhausted and break in the middle of a bunch of villains!”_

_“Sorry, I can’t! There’s someone trapped in the landslide zone who needs help, I’m going to get them first.” The greenette explained, worrying the pro. “Be careful! That bird villain managed to withstand One f-I mean I’ve hit him multiple times full power and he’s only been knocked back a bit, I managed to wear him down a bit though, I think.”_

_"Midoriya wait!” he tried to stop the teen but Midoriya had already rushed off. ‘One for All was barely effective? Thank god you’re ok.’ “Everyone. Get Aizawa and Thirteen out of here. I checked before I entered, there are no villains about outside. Take them to the school, you should run into other teachers along the way!”_

_With that final instruction, He leapt into action._

_~~~~_

 

_‘Dammit!’ He cursed as he threw punch after punch into the monster supposedly meant to fight him. Despite Midoriya’s claims, for the blonde it seemed One for All was completely ineffective. ‘The natural strength enhancements of that mark of his must have given him some advantage over this guy. I’ll just have to bury him!’_

_The blonde was behind the creature in less than a second once his mind was made up. He wrapped his arms around Nomu and pulled back hard, lifting the monster into the air._

_He felt the ground crumble around their combined weight and for the briefest moments he felt like gloating about how ineffective the league of villain’s supposed ultimate weapon has been._

_Then a sharp pain went through his injury, causing him to cough up blood._

_He was thanking every god he could name off the top of his head that Midoriya could overpower Nomu. He had had no idea how he would of escaped the villains clutches otherwise. Still, his student would be in danger if he remained here._

_“Young Midoriya! What are you doing here?! I appreciate the help but it’s too dangerous to stay here! Get to the entrance now.” The blonde commanded as he turned to face the villains who had started to recover from the surprise attack._

_“No All Might! We both know why you can’t stay here alone. I promise I’ll try to stay out you’re way as much as possible but I already hesitated with Mister Aizawa and now he might be dying because of me. I’m not making that mistake again if you need help!” Midoriya explained, voice filled determination. Another annoying trait they shared. “I think that bird villain has some form of regeneration, I’ve been able to do some damage but it’s like he comes back just as strong if he has even a second to breathe.”_

_“Midoriya you shouldn’t….Damn it, you’re not going to back down on this are you?” All Might asked, both irritated and proud at the same time. He sighed in frustration, whether he liked the idea of Midoriya being on the battle field or not, the boy could hurt Nomu and All Might couldn’t. The villains had picked themselves up and were beginning to rush at the two. “If you managed to overpower him….Fine. I can’t deny I’ll need all the help I can get against this guy right now but you had better stay out of the way and ONLY on my cue, smash that bird villain!”_

_“Yes Sir!” The greenette nodded his head in understanding as he retreated to a safer distance using One for All and watched the fight from afar._

_~~~~_

 

Midoriya had rushed off to deal with an apparent small time thug who was probably waiting to ambush them. All Might had to admit he was secretly thankful the boy’s attention had been diverted.

 

The greenette’s right arm was broken and he had been limping since Nomu knocked him out the way when he tried to stop the blonde from falling into a portal, he was too battered to be able to help with All Might’s original plan.

 

Todoroki, Bakugou and Kirishima had all annoyingly shown up as well. He was truly thankful for their help but they were all very likely to get hurt. Too eager, much like himself if he was honest.

“Get out of here.” He instructed them. Todoroki spoke up immediately in objection as he seemed to prepare for a fight.

 

“You would have been in trouble earlier if not for us.” Todoroki stated simply. “You need our help.”

 

“I thank you for the assistance, but this is different!” He stated. ‘You’ve done enough, more than kids your age should ever have had to in a situation like this.’ “It’s going to be alright, just sit back and watch a pro at work.”

 

The students all seemed to back down much to the pro’s relief and so he turned to face the three villains.

 

“Nomu…Kurogiri….kill him.” Shigaraki commanded emotionlessly. All Might clenched his fists as he prepared for the final fight. “I’ll deal with the children.”

 

‘Young Midoriya’s concern wasn’t misplaced. I barely have even a minute left in this form. My power, my energy, its dwindling faster than I’ve ever had to deal with before.’

 

“Let’s clear this level and go home.” The blue haired lunatic said, as he rushed forward at the pro and students.

 

‘Regardless, I will stop these villains. That’s my duty….’

 

“Heads up we’re fighting after all.” Kirishima warned his classmates.

 

All Might felt a fire light inside him.

 

‘…because **_I am the world’s symbol of peace and justice_**!’

 

The ground caved beneath were blonde had stood as he was propelled through the air by sheer force. Nomu moved to protect Shigaraki, throwing the villain out the way and Hero and Villains fist collided.

 

Wind picked up in violent guts at the force of the collision, knocking everyone nearby away. Shigaraki flipped through the air, and slide across the ground upon landing. “Weren’t you listening?! One of his powers is shock absorption!”

 

“Yeah, what about it?!” All Might asked back as he continued to throw fist after fist, more energy in each one than the last as Nomu met every attack with his own fists. “Young Midoriya already revealed your weakness. Your power is absorption, not nullification, my student proved there is a limit to what you can take!”

 

“He’s fighting the brain fucker head on!?” Bakugou asked incredulous as his students tried there hardest not to be blown away.

 

“Holy crap, they’re so fast!” Kirishima exclaimed, as Kurogiri shouted out in frustration.

 

“I can’t get near them!”

 

He continued to throw punch after punch, this wouldn’t be easy, but he would make sure this villain got his just comeuppance for attacking his students, for making Midoriya break his body and for thinking they could tear away the world’s symbol of peace!

 

“He’s overpowering the bird villain!” Todoroki exclaimed in shock. “Such power….”

 

He just had to keep going like this, no distractions and he could win and---

 

“ ** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-”_**

****

All might froze and the student’s blood ran cold. That sudden scream, that seemed suddenly cut off by a potentially killing blow….

 

It had been Midoriya’s voice.

 

The blonde was brought out of his shock by a solid fist colliding with his stomach make him cough out blood. Nomu’s fist flew once more, but this time All Might caught it in one hand, the villain threw his other fist and All Might repeated the process.

 

Blue eyes glared into the dead eyes of the Nomu as he held the villain in place for the moment, listening. No sound, no shout of ‘I’m ok’ or any noises of the boy rushing back to the fight.

 

“Izuku…….” All might whispered, caught so off-guard by the event. Nomu moved to break free…

 

And All Might snapped.

 

The blonde head-butted the villain hard enough to make the villain stagger back ever so slightly, and the pro ripped into the villain, with punch after punch.

 

A punch connected with the villain’s chest.

 

“You scar my class!”

 

Another punch connects with the villain’s stomach.

 

“You injure my colleagues!”

 

A final solid punch connects with the villain’s beak, truly knocking him back.

 

“NOW YOU MAY HAVE KILLED IZUKU?! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, IT ENDS HERE!”

 

“How emotional…” Shigaraki mocked as Nomu rushed forward, aiming a hit towards All Might’s weak spot but the blonde intercepted it before it hit, eyes glowing blue as he did so and he punched the monster squarely in the face, catapulting him into the nearby forest.

 

The pissed off pro was upon Nomu in less than a second again, as the two started to grapple each other, All Might managing to push the bird further back into the forest.

 

“You were made to fight me big guy?! If you can really withstand me firing at one hundred percent of my power, then I will go beyond that and force you to surrender!”

 

More and more, punches started to collide with Nomu, who seemed incapable of keeping up with All Might, who had seemed to find a new fuel within his anger.

 

‘I have to give it my all, injury or no! Every punch has to be targeted and has to have more than everything I can give. For my students, for my colleagues and for Izuku, I WILL go beyond!’

 

An uppercut catapults the bird villain into the air and All Might leapt after him. “A real hero…”

Nomu smashed the ground and launched back up towards the blonde, who smashed the villain in the face and grabbed the monsters arm, throwing him into the ground so hard it cracked open upon impact.

“…Will always find a way for justice to prevail!”

 

All Might fell into the ground beside the villain, creating his own crater as the villain seemed to fall through the air in slow motion after having been knocked back up by the force of his landing.

 

“Now for a lesson.” All Might said as he stood tall and clenched a fist, energy building inside of it as he felt all the power of One for All run through him. “You may have heard these words before, but let me show you what they really mean. Go beyond.”

 

He shifted forward and punched the villain in the stomach with all his might, digging in deeper and deeper. He could feel it, he had had broken the villains shock absorption.

 

“PLUS ULTRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

 

The force of an explosion left from the punch and Nomu flew through the air, colliding with the ceiling and smashing straight through. Lights exploded on the ceiling, a small tremor went through the building from the force and All might turned back to the remaining villains.

 

“Jeez that was like the finisher move in a fighting game, he beat the shock absorption right out of him.” Kirishima exclaimed and Bakugou looked at the blonde, eyes envious.

 

“Imagine having power like that.” He breathed out. “He must have been punching that monster so fast he couldn’t regenerate, that’s where the nerd had been going wrong-DEKU!”

 

‘Credit where credits due, at least Bakugou can recognize something serious may of happened.’

 

Smoke had been flying from the punch but the blonde quickly realized that wasn’t the only source when he moved to step forward and his body seemed to seize up. ‘Crap! I used too much energy, I can’t move. All I can do now is talk. Times up so gotta end this fast.’

 

“I really have gotten weaker…Back in my hay day, five hits would have been enough to knock that guy out. But today it took more than three hundred mighty blows.” He said simply, Shigaraki started to scratch in frustration. ‘Such a gross habit.’ “You’ve been bested villains. Surrender, unless you wish to also feel my anger. Personally, I’d rather get this over with quickly.”

 

“You…..cheater.” Shigaraki hissed, before quieting down into a barely audible whisper. “I was told he was weaker, but he’s just as strong as ever. Don’t tell me I was lied to?!”

 

“What’s wrong, not attacking me? Didn’t you say you were going to clear this level earlier? Well come and get me, if you dare!” All Might taunted with a harsh glare. ‘For the love of whatever Midoriya said that god guy was called, give up already so I can go find him.’

 

Shigaraki backed up as if frightened, body starting to shake. The three students near him all seemed intimated as well.

 

“Man this is….Intense.” Bakugou said and Kirishima nodded in agreement.

 

“As expected, there’s no reason for us to fight anymore. We should go try and find Midoriya, the sooner we find him the better.” Todoroki suggested.

 

“Yeah good idea, let’s go. Better than sticking around and becoming potential hostages.” Kirishima said as he turned to walk to where they had least seen the greenette. “All might can handle these guys by himself.”

 

‘Crap, I can’t tell them otherwise unless my secret got out but…I so CANNOT handle these guys. The dust is covering it but I can feel the steam and how little energy I have. I’m not just out of time, I’ve definitely limited my form even more than before. I can’t fight the, Nomu took too much out of me. One more move and I’ll be back to my weak form. I’ll just have to stall until back up gets here.’

 

“What, are you scared?” He continued to taunt, causing Shigaraki to itch violently. ‘They’re hesitating, maybe this will work. They’re so close to surrendering or at least running away.’

 

“If only Nomu was here, he’d rush you right now! Pound you into the ground without giving it a second thought.” The blue haired lunatic ranted and Kurogiri started to lean in close.

 

“Tomura Shigaraki, please do not fret.” He tried to calm the itching villain. All Might’s eyes widened as he felt worry crawl up his spine ‘oh no.’ “Look at him, he has definitely weakened. Nomu’s attacks were successful. The children are leaving, overly confident in their teacher and worried for their missing friend… and look, our underlings are recovering. We likely still have a few minutes until reinforcements arrive. If you and I work together we can do this, we haven’t missed our chance!”

 

All Might cursed everything as Shigaraki stopped itching. If the villain attacked him now, he was screwed.

 

“Yeah…yeah you’re right.” Shigaraki conceded calmly. “This is it, we have no choice. We have to do it now. I mean, the big end boss is right in front of us…”

 

Suddenly the villain was rushing forward, intent on killing the pro.

 

‘So this is it.’

 

“CONSIDER THIS REVENGE FOR NOMU!”

 

‘Holy shit, I’m really going to die here?!’

 

“DEKU?! WHAT THE HELL?!”

 

All Might’s eyes widened in surprise and even before he could turn to see what Bakugou was shouting about, a familiar black and purple tendril flew between him and Shigaraki.

 

“GET AWAY FROM ALL MIGHT!” A familiar voice shouted out and the pro didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried when he saw Midoriya flying through the air from the momentum of the tendril.

 

What really caught the blonde’s attention was the boy’s previous injuries were completely gone. His arm and leg looked as good as new, though the tiredness of the boy was still there.

 

Suddenly, a purple portal opened in front of the greenette’s face and Shigaraki started to come out towards his successor. ‘NOOO!’

 

Midoriya however seemed unfazed as he threw his arm down, and Far Reach shot out, smashing off the ground a launching the bot higher similarly to how the pro had seen Ojiro use his tail on occasion. The tentacle then shot out once more, wrapping around the villains arm and pulling him out the portal before Midoriya threw Shigaraki right at Kurogiri, who chose to dodge over using a portal.

 

“YOU BRAT!” Shigaraki screamed out pissed, starting to run back but before he could get closer…

 

BANG!

 

The villains hand exploded into a large amount of blood as he shouted out in pain. Three more loud bangs sounded and with each one a hand or a leg of Shigaraki’s went. Yet more bangs sounded but Kurogiri blocked the shots with his body.

 

ALL might shot his gaze to the entrance and relief filled his body as a small familiar voice was heard across the facility.

 

“Sorry everyone, I know we’re a bit late, but I got the teachers over here as fast as I could!” Nezu said. All might couldn’t help the slight smug thought that passed through his head. ‘Told you something was wrong!’

 

“YOUR CLASS REP HAS RETUNRED! I HAVE FUFLLIED MY DUTY!” Iida’s voice rang out next, prompting a smile from All might. “AND I BROUGHT REINFORCEMENTS!”

 

Many of the thugs made to attack and were promptly token down by the pro’s. Ectoplasms many clones moving to fight as Present mics voice ripped through the villains.

 

“DAMMIT, Its game over for real this time.” Shigaraki complained from inside the smoke of Kurogiri, drawing All Might’s attention back. “Let’s go home, we can try again some other time.”

 

“I’m on it!” The warp villain said as he moved to teleport his ally however before they could properly start, the villains body started to be torn apart by a powerful wind. “Ugh! This is…Thirteens black hole!”

 

“We may have failed to kill you this time…but your days are numbered.” Shigaraki ranted as he glared, head poking out of a portal. The black hole couldn’t stop Shigaraki and Kurogiri teleporting away. The last thing All Might heard from the villain was “I will kill you, All Might, Symbol of Peace!”

 

He let out a sigh of relief once the villains were gone. The rest of the thigs could be dealt with by the rest of the pro’s and from the sounds of it, even his students could take on the thugs if necessary. He felt a bit of pride at that though he hated that they ever had to find that out today.

His attention was drawn to his successor, who looked ready to collapse any moment now. If it wasn’t for the eyes of the other students still being near and thus able to see his true form, he’d rush over to hug the boy he had thought he’d lost just a few minutes ago.

 

“Thank you.” He coughed out. The greenette looked up shocked, green eyes holding many emotions, but what stood out most was the fear in them. Still prominent. “You bought me a few vital seconds, if not for you I’d be dead now. I want you to know, I’m proud of how well you did today.”

 

Tears started to form in his successors eyes and he couldn’t help rolling his own. ‘Of course.’ “Young Midoriya, you’ve saved me once again.”

 

“All Might….” The greenette walked towards him, staggering slightly. He really was tired. A solid wall of cement blocked the view from the other students. ‘Cementoss must be here. I think I can hear him talking to Kirishima.’

 

Arms wrapped around the half skinny have muscly form of All Might, confusing the hero. He placed his own around his student, glad to be sure he was safe. “Hey, hey kid. What’s wrong? We beat the villains, everyone’s safe more or less. What’s got you all freaked out?”

 

Sad green eyes looked at him as he truly powered down. Nothing could have prepared him for the answer he received.

 

“I think….I might’ve killed someone.”


	15. Demon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and general idea could be super controversial to some people....HOW FUN!

 

Midoriya groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and slowly took in his surroundings. The room was familiar, worryingly familiar.

 

After all, it was never good when you were USED to waking up in an infirmary. He slowly started to rise, why was he here?

 

He looked around as memories slowly came back. They’d been at the new facility, All Might hadn’t been there, and the lights had started to act odd-

 

Villains!

 

His eyes widened as he remembered. Villains had attacked the USJ! They had come to get All Might. He and Asui had been separated with Mineta.

 

His breathing started to get faster as more memories continued to return. Nomu had attacked them, he hadn’t been strong enough to do anything. His classmates helped All Might, they had nearly been ambushed and he had gone after the thug.

 

Eyes closed tight as his breathing got more erratic.

 

Wide endless black eyes full of surprise.

 

His hand clutched at his chest.

 

An explosion of smoke, a spec of blood and nothing else upon the ground.

 

 

Death, murder. He had killed him.

 

He was a murder.

 

He was a monster!

 

He felt lightheaded, on the verge of passing out. The world seemed to swim in an endless black. What did he do now? He couldn’t be a hero, what kind of hero killed someone?!

 

“-Zuku!” A voice finally cut through the swarm of dread in his mind. He looked up as his breathing stopped and saw All might looking at him with sympathetic eyes, Recovery Girl just a little behind him with a look of concern. All Might placed a hand on the boys shoulder and gave him a small sad smile. “Deep breathes, my boy. Its ok now, I am here.”

 

He followed his mentors instructions, taking slow deep breathes. Recovery girl started to do the same as if giving him a guide so he could follow her lead. He was thankful for it.

 

“What….Why…..”He started slowly and a bony hand cut him off, placed over his mouth.

 

“Take a moment first young Midoriya.” All Might instructed him. “Take all the time you need to form your thoughts before you ask anything, it will help.”

 

“Yeah…Yeah ok…” He said calmly. He took in his surroundings properly as the details of his memories started to return, both good and bad. The room held no other occupants. A moment of silence past as Midoriya tried to think of everything he needed to ask, to know. Last thing he had memory of, he had told Midoriya he had killed someone and then he woke up here. “Ok I’m ready.”

 

“Ok good. We’ll answer best we can, but we have some questions for you as well if you can answer them.” All Might warned with a serious look. Midoriya nodded in understanding.  “Then you should start, my boy.”

 

“Ok, I remember Aizawa and Thirteen got hurt pretty badly. Are they ok!? And what about everyone else?!” He asked and All Might let out a small laugh.

 

“Of course that’s your first question.” The blonde muttered amused, seemingly expecting it. “Don’t worry my boy, before you worry they are all safe. Aizawa and Thirteen are in a nearby hospital, they’re still recovering but they’ll live. As for your classmates, the only one who had any truly serious conditions was young Hagakure but thanks to you, she’ll be fine. Aside from that, the rest of your classmates only had minor scrapes, cuts and bruises. Everyone’s alive and recovering.”       

 

A beat of silence hung over the trio as All Might’s choice of words sank in. Recovery Girl slapped the blonde as the greenette put his face in to his hands as if frustrated though it was more worry than anything else.

 

“Sorry, my boy. That was….a poor choice of words.” The pro apologised as the female of the trio muttered about ‘incompetent blondes’ “That’s what we needed to ask you about though.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Midoriya bit out as tears started to prick at his eyes. “I’m so sorry…You believed in me and I killed someone….I’m sorry I failed you, All Might! You put your faith in me to be a hero and….”

 

The blonde’s hands clasped around his arm tightly and in a low but calming voice his mentor tried to calm him. “Hey hey hey, none of that now. I know you, you didn’t do it for any evil reason.”

 

“But how can I be a hero if-“

 

“No, you can still be a hero. A mistake or an act of self-defence doesn’t make you evil. I still believe in you kid, don’t get any ideas otherwise in there.” All might said as he started rubbing circles in the boys back with his free hand. “Do you want to talk about something else first, we’ll need to know eventually but if you aren’t up to it just yet no one will hold you against you.”

 

A small nod was all the skinny man got in reply.

 

“Alright, what did you want to talk about instead?”

 

“How long was I out? I was so tired in the USJ, I must have been asleep for a while.” Recovery Girl snorted at the question, causing Midoriya to look at her confused.

 

“’A while’ is an understatement!” The nurse heroine said with a roll of her eyes. “You’ve been asleep for 3 whole days now. If you stayed out of it any longer and I was going to transfer you to a hospital. I was going too yesterday but Toshinori here convinced me to keep you one more day.”

 

“Oh. I’m sorry if I got in the way.” Midoriya apologised and the two heroes just sighed.

 

“It’s my job to look after you kids in these situations, don’t worry about it.” Recovery Girl waved off his concern. “Just don’t do it again!”

 

“Yes ma’am.” He nodded. It hadn’t been that long then. All might then lit up as if he remembered something. “You should be able to go when all is said and done here seeing as you aren’t injured. School was cancelled for the last two days so everyone could recuperate and recharge, which apparently was pretty literal for you. They just came back today. The fight with Nomu shortened how long I can hold my hero form but I have no classes today so we can go get some food in you and then go see everyone else before sending you home if you want.”

 

“Yeah.” A small smile graced Izuku’s face at the thought. “I’d like that. I’m sorry about your hero form though….”

 

“Don’t worry about it, these things happen.” All might reassured him with a smile.

 

Midoriya took a deep breath. He had to do this sooner or later and he knew the longer he waited the harder to would be to say anything at all. He looked up at the two people who knew everything about his powers.

 

“I…I’m ready. I’ll tell you what happened.”

 

~~~~

_Far Reach fired out and dragged Midoriya through the air, closing the distance quickly. His broken arm threw him off balance and made it hard to aim however he landed relatively ok, only stumbling slightly. He hoped he wouldn’t be forced to stray too far from Nomu and All Might._

_Loud thuds and a sudden massive gust of wind informed him that the two had almost definitely started fighting. ‘Better wrap this up quickly.’_

_He twisted around one final corner and was caught by surprise, the thug had stopped running and was standing with a massive grin on his face. Midoriya clenched his fists. “That’s enough! The rest of the league of villains is down, just give up so I can get back to the fight.”_

_What left the villains mouth next would really throw Midoriya for a loop. The start of a path from which he’d never walk back._

_“League of villains? Pitiful next to me, I’ll have you know. I work for my own agenda.” He explained with a cold voice and a hint of twisted amusement in the villains eyes. The villain looked away and when he looked back, Midoriya almost shouted out in shock. “I could care less about getting rid of such an insignificant insect as All Might. No, I’m here for the only one who matters. I’m here for you,_ Izuku Midoriya _.”_

_The villain’s eyes were the same endless black as the outsiders._

_“WHAT THE HELL?!” Midoriya exclaimed in shock as he backed up slightly, completely caught off guard. Then he froze._

_Big mistake._

_CRACK!_

_Unlike the times before, this time Midoriya definitely felt the break. Adrenaline wasn’t distracting him and he’s really put his body through hell today. He couldn’t hold it back, he screamed, both in pain and confusion._

_**“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-“** _

__

_Smoke, thick black smoke forced itself inside his mouth, shutting him up. If it wasn’t for the lack of working bones he’s be clawing at his chest, it was suffocating._

_His eyes pricked with tears, the sensation wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. There was one other time he’d has this unpleasant experience._

_The sludge villain._

_Memories flashed of the day he was granted the ability to one day have powers, both by All Might and The Outsider._

_All Might who had believed in him to become his successor, to be the next symbol of peace._

_The Outsider, who clearly had some purpose in mind for him with his powers, who clearly needed him for_ _something,_ _whatever it was._

_He was going to die here and let both men (or men and god) who had given him the opportunity he had wanted all his life, if he couldn’t find some escape._

_Tears trickled down his cheek. His thoughts like a blizzard of worry and concern. The new villain glared at him, he had his hand outstretched which is where the smoke was coming from._

_“Seriously?! How disgustingly pathetic!” The villain complained, yanking his hand back and stopping the smoke. Immediately all the smoke seemed to expel from Midoriya’s body, leaving the boy coughing violently. “I was sent here for this? A scared little brat is how I’m supposed to rank up?! This was supposed to be a difficult mission.”_

_‘What in the void is this creep talking about?!’ Midoriya wondered as he coughed up the last little remaining bits of smoke. He took in the villain’s appearance while he could. It wasn’t the outsider, he could tell that much. The outsider was cold, seemingly unfeeling but this guy was getting pretty angry easily. “Who….Are you!?”_

_“You really don’t know do you?!” The villain half laughed, half exclaimed, His frown was replaced by a twisted grin. The villain stomped forward and Midoriya could finally make out his features properly. He had a gaunt face, crooked nose. His hair was a light brown and there was a scar near the villain’s right ear. There was also seemingly a hole near the villains neck._

_The villain stopped, stood above the teen. The villain leaned down slowly, and much to Izuku’s disgust and discomfort, the villain spat right in his eyes. ‘EWW.’_

_A hand gripped the boy’s PE uniform and yanked him into the air, broken limbs dangling uselessly. His fearful eyes met with the glare of the enigma before him. He had to resist the urge to scream again when out of nowhere, he felt his limbs snap into place. He probably wouldn’t of managed if not for the villain’s other hand covering his face._

_Suddenly he was flying through the air, thrown by the villain and he rolled across the floor upon landing. A quick test revealed to him, much to his surprise, feeling was back in his limbs, he could move!_

_“What the? Why would you heal me?!” He asked, curiosity over taking him. It made no sense to him. The villain just grinned, then Midoriya was once more caught off–guard as the villain’s body turned into an endless mass of smoke._

_It wasn’t completely unlike Kurogiri’s however there was no purple highlights and it was much thicker. A second later he felt a presence behind him and turned on the spot, seeing the smoke forming a body like cloud that then transformed into the villain. “Peek-a-boo!”_

_A fist collided with the boy’s face, making him stumble. The villain slowly walked towards him, looking somehow bored yet amused. ‘Another multi-quirk user?! No….I recognize this energy….It can’t be…’ “I’m only gonna explain once you brat, and only so you can actually be a ‘worth it’ target. I have superiors, and not those League of Villains chumps. Heroes and Villains mean nothing to us, though we do have to thank those morons for making sure evil persists and keeps us fed. What would be a good term for us? Hmmm, I did always enjoy being called a demon when I was alive.”_

_‘EXECUSE ME WHAT?!’_

_“Yeah, let’s go with demon.” The black-eyed horror laughed as Midoriya looked at him horrified. “Long story short, we got a hierarchy. Now me, I’m just a little low-level ‘no good trouble maker’, a foot solider. Pisses me off, just because I drew the short straw on powers. This was my chance to get into the big leagues. See, I have no fucking clue how with how pathetic a show you’re putting on, but you got the bigger player’s attentions. They’re scared of you, little man, about what you can do. But they don’t know what you’re capable of completely, so they sent me to find out and try to eliminate you ahead of time. Hell they decided this new smoke power. Personally, I wouldn’t have even bothered, you’re no threat to us. But if I get to rank up AND get more powers, then I’ll kill you. But I want it to be earned so FIGHT BACK DAMMIT!”_

_Midoriya barely rolled out the way in time to avoid a coil of smoke that tried to attack him. He leapt back and scrambled into a fighting position. How the hell was he supposed to react to all this?!_

_Ten months ago, he would have brushed the villain…no the demon, off as a lunatic, but after everything with the outsider, he could believe it. He could believe that this was some supernatural monster just as much as an insane small-time thug. “I SAID FIGHT BACK YOU USELESS BASTARD!”_

_He rolled out of the way of another smoke coil and finally he had enough. “FINE!”_

_Far Reach launched out his hand, wrapping around the villains legs and pulling him over. The demon seemed caught off guard but transformed into the smoke from before in the air. Midoriya was ready for him when he tried to reform behind the teen. A solid punch connected with the villain’s stomach who…just stood there with a grin._

_Another physical punch collided with Midoriya’s face again. “Nice try, you little bastard. That’s more like it, but physical attacks aren’t going to work on me! That beast out there is nothing next to what I can do and that Shigaraki chump doesn’t even realize it.”_

_“You’re saying…?!” He didn’t finish his question, but Midoriya knew he didn’t have to for his intent to come through. The demon smiled cruelly as he stalked forward, one hand held out as if holding an invisible apple for some reason._

_“Yeah, Nomu is an ant and I’m a lion! Not even your super strength attack will do anything. Good luck fighting me with just a tentacle brat!” The villain gloated and suddenly a giant ball of smoke appeared in the villain’s outstretched hand. “CATCH!”_

_The greenette’s eyes widened in surprise as the smoke ball was suddenly launched towards him. It was fast and even from the distance he could tell it was dangerous._

_He could practically taste the amount of energy concentrated in the attack. He followed his instincts as time seemed to slow with the attack launching at him, leaping into the air with his increased agility which seemed to catch the demon off guard as he flipped in the air to face the attack that soared past._

_‘Not even_ your _super strength attack will do anything.’ ‘If my powers won’t do anything then!’_

_The familiar concentration of energy shot through his left hand and his tentacle shot out, wrapping around the smoke ball. As Midoriya felt the two connect with each other he flipped once more upon his descent to the ground, throwing the attack right back at the demon. As he landed he looked up to see the attack hit the dead center of the demons chest._

_Both of them froze for a moment in surprise, then a sickening crack sounded out and the demon lurched forward. “You….you….BRAT!”_

_Midoriya barely had the time to dodge as the demon rushed him, aiming a punch. The demon just collapsed after he missed, on all fours. The demon’s head slowly turned to look at him and Midoriya felt his heart sink, the endless black eyes that had held contempt and anger now had two new emotions swirling in them. Too other it would be hard to see but Midoriya saw it, the shock and fear._

_“Guess…..they were…..right.”_

_Midoriya didn’t have to ask what he was talking about._

_‘ _but you got the bigger player’s attentions. They’re scared of you, little man, about what you can do. But they don’t know what you’re capable of completely, so they sent me to find out and try to eliminate you ahead of time.’__

_The marked boy walked back slowly as the demons body started to bubble, as if it couldn’t contain something inside. It made Midoriya sick to look at but he couldn’t look away._

_Then the demon exploded, smoke flying everywhere. The boy’s eyes widened in shock. Others would be quick to think the villain was making an escape but Midoriya could feel it._

_This wasn’t an escape._

_This was a death._

_A death he caused._

_His hands shot to his mouth in horror. What the hell had he just done?! He’d just killed someone!_

_‘When I was alive…’_

_Had he? He was so confused now….but…..he had a physical body, he_ _FELT_ _him die…_

_He was sure, he HAD just killed someone._

_An explosion sounded and he looked behind himself, seeing a gaping hole in the roof. ‘All Might!’_

_He started to run back to the others. He did however spare one glance back, towards where the demon had exploded._

_~~~~_

 

Both All Might and recovery girl looked between each other, concerned looks on their faces.

 

“That’s….quite the story.”  All Might started. Midoriya hugged his legs to his chest. “Don’t get me wrong, I believe you my boy. Still, this is….quite a lot to take in.”

 

“I understand. I’m sorry….” He trailed off. A skinny arm wrapped around his neck and he saw All Might looking down at him with a small smile.

 

“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Izuku. You faced an opponent intent on killing you and you did what you had to in order to not be killed. Its….unfortunate, to be sure but it was necessary.”

 

The boy leaned into his mentor side with a frown and a sad sigh as tears started to prick his eyes once more. “But….even so…..I’m….I killed someone, you’d never have done that. And I’m being hunted?! If I hadn’t been there, then….”

 

He didn’t get a chance to finish as All Might’s arm tightened its grasp around him. “If you hadn’t been there, young Asui and Mineta would be dead right about now. I was told about everything you did, your actions were reckless and If this were any other time I’d scold you as my duty as a teacher. But! This time, it was justified, you saved your friends. As for these ‘Demons’, I’ll admit I have no idea what to make of them. I’ll have a discussion with principal Nezu, so we may look into it. The safety of our students are our prime concern, especially after this Incident.”

 

“But..But…” Midoriya stuttered, he looked up to his mentors face and was caught off guard when he saw that the blonde’s face was dark, with a frown. “You never….”

 

“That’s….sadly not true.”

 

Oh…

 

OH!

 

Midoriya wrapped his teacher into a proper hug at that. “I’m sorry!”

 

“So you’re replacing constant crying with constant apologies now?” The blonde quietly joked. Tears started to roll down Midoriya’s cheeks.

 

He swore he could actually FEEL All Might’s eye roll.


	16. Just Begun

Midoriya yawned as he walked with All Might, in his skinny form, to his class. He had decided not to tell the others about the “Demon.”, unlike All Might, while they could accept it, they wouldn’t be able to understand it. He had decided not to ask his mentor what had happened in his past. Fortunately he could probably blame his red eyes on his extended nap he had took over the past few days. How he could still be tired after it he didn’t know.

 

“You’re still mentally exhausted, your brain has been down and out so it’s still catching up.” The blonde said as if reading his mind. The marked boy nodded in understanding, looking up at his mentor.

 

“Is it ok for you to be wandering about like this All-I means sir? If Recovery girl banned you from using your hero form ‘til our next lesson, aren’t you worried about who sees you?” He asked confused and the pro laughed while rubbing his neck.

 

“Already covered that base, my boy! Right now you aren’t looking at All Might the number one pro, you’re looking at office worker Yagi Toshinori. I had to explain to your friends already when they came to see you earlier. Just remember to call me Toshi in this form!” All Might explained with a jovial chuckle. “Now we’re almost there so let’s not say anything more about this, lest young Shoji hears us! We want to surprise them after all!”

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Midoriya greed and the rest of the walk they stayed silent. As soon as they had left the infirmary with the usual stern scolding from recovery girl to “Not end up back here for the love of god!”, they had gone to get some rice from lunch rush and were now heading to see Midoriya’s friends before he went home.

 

They stopped outside the classroom and Midoriya took a moment to breathe and prepare. Urachan would probably glomp him on sight and the other wouldn’t be too far behind.

 

All Might walked in first and Midoriya purposefully stayed back, like they had planned. The boy knew he should be resting his body but his curiosity got the better of him and he activated his Dark Vision.

 

“Hello 1-A! Apologies for the sudden interruption Midnight!” The blonde said jovially, and all the yellow silhouettes looked up. A few looked more excited than others at the blonde’s arrival.

 

Some made sense, like Iida and Uraraka, but there were also some odd ones like Jirou and Hagakure. Their silhouettes seemed to glow brighter than usual.

 

“No problem at all, Toshinori.” Midnight greeted her co-worker. “What do you need?”

 

“Well, I don’t need anything myself but I thought I should let you all know, I’ve just come from the infirmary and there’s someone I think you’d like to see with me.”

  
That was his cue, he deactivated his vision power and slowly leaned into the room with a small smile. He didn’t want his classmates worrying about him so he’d spent most of the impromptu lunch with his teacher thinking about how to enter. “Hey, did anyone _mark_ their calendars for my return today?”

 

No one said he was that proud of it.

 

“MIDORIYA!”

 

“DEKU!”

 

Most of the class seemed to literally get brighter from how excited they were to see him. He walked in and he heard scrapes of metal on the floor. He braced his body, which was clearly the right thing to do as less than a second later he was supporting Uraraka’s full body weight on top of his own. He laughed, both at his friend hugging him and Iida’s shout of “DON’T RUN IN CLASS!”

 

Most everyone else got up as well, Tsu and Iida were crowding him next, then Hagakure, Jirou and Kirishima. The rest of the class, sans Bakugou and Todoroki, had all also stood up, even if they hadn’t moved closer.

 

“Hey bro!” Kaminari said from his table. “Glad to see you’re actually alive.”

 

“Yeah, you really gave everyone a scare when we found out you were STILL sleeping.” Jirou commented as she fiddled with her ear jacks, not meeting his eyes. Was she nervous? Her, Jirou?!

 

“Seriously though, you ok dude? We never got a chance to ask before you dropped.” Kirishima spoke up with a concerned frown that Midoriya met with a reassuring smile.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine more or less. Tired as heck, even after that sleep but nothing serious.” Midoriya reassured them and they all sighed in relief. It was so weird knowing his whole class cared for him. So much different to middle school. A floating school outfit leaped forward and Midoriya knew immediately it had to be Hagakure.

 

“Midori! Seriously I have to thank you so much!” The girl said, lots energy coming through her voice for someone who last he saw was literally encased in ice. It HAD been a few days but it was still pretty amazing. He was sure there was some damage he couldn’t see but he elected not to bring it up. “If you hadn’t saved me I’m not sure I’d be alive right now, seriously thanks so much!”

 

The girl was cheery enough and Midoriya nodded as he followed her stream of ‘thank you’s’ and ‘you’re super awesome’, however in the back he noticed Todoroki’s face seemed to flash with guilt briefly. Most probably wouldn’t see it with how fast it went by. ‘Well that explains HOW it happened.’

 

“Speaking of thanks, I also have to thank you for saving me and Aizawa from the monster.” Tsu spoke up, a finger to her chin. Her eyes seemed slightly dim though. “If I’m being honest, I really thought one of us was going to die there. I knew you’d probably jump to save one of us but….you really are stubborn when it comes to saving everyone, ribbit.”

 

“Well….yeah, I guess I can be pretty stubborn with that.” Midoriya said as he rubbed the back of his head. He could physically feel the smirk on his mentor’s face without even seeing it and Urachan beamed brightly at him, likely remembering the zero pointer. “I’m just glad I managed to come up with anything on the spot like that.”

 

“Yeah, still fighting the Nomu like that. I’m thankful you saved us, but you’re insane, you know that right? He was supposed to fight All Might so taking him on…” The frog girl scolded him lightly, though it was clear there wasn’t much heart in it. Her words however, caught the attention of some of the others.

 

“Wait you did WHAT!?” Mineta asked incredulous, confusing Midoriya.

 

“Oh yeah, you fainted before it happened.” Tsu brushed off the smaller student’s exclamation of shock and Kirishima spoke up as he placed a finger to his chin and looked into the air. “I’m just glad Midoriya was strong enough to actually hurt him, even if it didn’t do much in the end. Ribbit.”

 

“Oh yeah, that hand-y dude was SUPER angry with you. Wait hang on, you hurt him. The hand villain guy actually said ‘if it wasn’t for his multiple quirks you would have wiped the floor with my strongest fighter.’” Kirishima quoted as his eyes seemed to widen in shock as he came to a realization. “Which means you managed to be a challenge for a villain that ALL MIGHT struggled with. You did to Nomu with one punch what it took All Might like 20 full power punches?!”

 

The greenette’s grin turned sheepish as the entire classes eyes seemed to suddenly being staring at him in shock and disbelief.  “Well…….basically yeah….”

 

And thus pandemonium started.

 

“WHAT?!” Bakugou outright screeched among the other shouts of shock as his face contorted into pure rage as explosions left his hands. “BULLSHIT!”

 

“Its true.” Tsu spoke up. “I didn’t see much but I saw the first few punches, Nomu was almost completely knocked off his feet, ribbit.”

 

“Whereas All Might’s initial punches did quite literally nothing.” Todoroki spoke up. His face was odd, as if calculating something he didn’t understand. He didn’t say anything beyond that.

 

“No wonder he seems to have a soft spot for you.” Tokoyami chimed in and a few others made noises of agreement, causing Midoriya to blush.

 

“I am truly glad you are ok Midoriya. If anything had happened to you when I had left, I don’t think I could of forgiven myself.” Iida says, hands making their usual chopping motions.

 

“Well don’t worry about it. Look, every single one of us is alive, and we’re all safe.” Midoriya said, then his eyes lit up as an idea struck him. “Oh, so this happened to ALL of us as a class, if any of us are gonna need to talk about it, we’ll probably want to do it with each other. I get it if not everyone’s up for it but I was thinking I could set up a kinda group chat for the class?”

 

There was a beat of silence as it was considered. Then Iida spoke up.

 

“I, for one, think it is a marvelous idea! Both from an emotional standpoint and a practical standpoint. Does anyone have any objections?”

 

There were a chorus of ‘no’s’ and ‘not really’

 

“I know it’s not my place to say but I think it’s a pretty smart idea as well.” All M-No, Toshinori said with small smile.

 

“Great.” Midoriya exclaimed as he clapped his hands together and he turned to face Midnight, who was watching with an amused smirk and her arms crossed. “Would it be alright if I put my phone number on the board so everyone can use it later Miss?”

 

“Go ahead, just keep it in the corner. I’ll let the other teachers know so they don’t wipe it off.”

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya, after getting past the crying, hugging ball of worry and relief that was his mother, promptly collapsed into his bed.

 

He set his phone aside, he knew it would be a while before anyone would message him, so he could rest some while his mom made food. His eyes closed as his arms fell limp at his side.

 

And suddenly the mattress was hard and it was so cold.

 

**“As I have previously said, limitation is such an interesting thing.”**

“HOLY-“ Izuku shot up, caught off guard and rolling to the side. That was a mistake as he rolled right off the bit of rock the Outsider had pulled him to. He felt his body fall for just a moment but then a hand was gripping the back of his shirt.

 

 **“So quick to ditch my company? You wound me, Izuku Midoriya.”** His voice was cold, dead, unfeeling. Completely normal for the god and yet, despite the cold disposition….did he just make a joke?! “ **Yes. And no I didn’t read your mind, I just know how you perceive me. It will still be a while until I think you should know my story but I’m sure that analytical mind of yours can remember what I said on our first encounter. I was once as human as you.”**

“Wait really?” Midoriya asked shocked and a bit of void rock formed beneath him. The Outsider dropped him and he landed face first on the newly formed floor. He didn’t feel guilty for the annoyed thought he had next. ‘Human or god, he’s definitely a troll.”

 

 **“You have a tendency to focus on the finer details and thus forget to ask the obvious questions.”** It was a statement, said with a finality that left no room for objection. The greenette stood and turned around properly, the Outsider was pacing about like he seemed to like to do, occasionally teleporting and summoning stone furniture to sit upon. His eyes however, they had a look, almost of concern upon them. “ **Midoriya, I knew about the USJ Incident before it happened.”**

Huh?!

 

 **“Months in advance, I was aware the attack would take place. Time is…..delicate. I can see events in the future, how they may play out. I saw a future where upon receiving my mark, you followed the path of a vigilante and I also saw this future. Very different right?”** All Midoriya could do was nod. **“Timeline can play out very differently from the tiniest decisions. In one, you could be a benevolent force for good and in another, a ruthless tyrant bent upon hurting those beneath you because you’re insecure. But enough about my parents.”**

HE JUST DID IT AGAIN, WHAT IN THE VOID?

 

“ **Us. We’re in the void.”** The shit-eating grin on the god’s face so made Midoriya want to punch him. However more importantly…

 

“Ok stop. What the heck? You’re normally a super cold, emotionless acting….god. You NEVER tell jokes, you have a sense of humor at my expense, sure but you never outright tell jokes. Also the smiling, you NEVER smile.” Midoriya really had no idea what to make of the Outsider’s weirdly different attitude. The smile fell away and the god’s eyes somehow seemed to increase in their intensity as the void god sighed.

 

“ **That is a fair question. I’ve already told you parts of the story about why I am here now. I still don’t wish to truly get into it but….you know you weren’t the first person I’ve marked. Well in this world you are, but from before….there were a fair few who would bare my mark, spread out over the decades. Corvo Attano, Emily Kaldwin, Vera Morley to name a few, though I know those names mean nothing to you. I watched their journey’s and adventures. I talked with them when they visited my shrines and they usually cursed me out for being vague and cryptic.”**

His voice never ceased being dead, empty. Yet somehow, despite that, Midoriya could sense a fondness and a longing that simply couldn’t be properly conveyed with the Outsider’s voice. The boy took a seat on one of the conjured bits of stone and waited for the god to continue patiently.

 

“ **I never admitted it to them, as I never saw the point, I doubted they would care but…”** He turned to face Midoriya with a smile that still didn’t suit his face. “ **I can’t truly interact with the real world beyond a sort of floating illusion. It is why I always pull you into the void and never step out to the real world, why I am called ‘The Outsider.’ Those I marked, were for the most part, the only people I have ever regularly interacted with. For lack of a better term, they were my friends. The only ones I could truly talk to for _various_** **reasons.”**

Oh…

 

**“In the original world, after they were gone, I could hop timelines and talk with other versions, yet the same. So many slightly varying, interesting versions. I no longer have that option, I suddenly couldn’t interact with the only anchors I truly had to the ‘real’ world. To have all this power at my fingertips, and yet have no ability to see everything I’ve ever known one last time…. It’s not as common for me to feel emotions, but that doesn’t mean I am incapable of them. I existed across centuries and yet….I never saw the moment I’d be ripped away from it all…”**

OH!

 

“That’s…..I’m not gonna lie, I’m not really sure how to respond to that. I’m sorry.” Midoriya said. He contemplated patting the Outsider’s shoulder or something but it seemed too improper.

 

“ **I don’t wish to repeat mistakes, though I also am not one to repeat myself.”** The god stood up and nodded at Midoriya. “ **So, this time only, I will say that as much as I choose you as someone interesting to bear my mark, I do in fact see you as a friend as well.”**

 

It’s impossible for Midoriya not to smile at that. After all, being told by a literal god he saw you as a friend, was a pretty good way to lift one’s spirits. The smile almost gave way to a frown though as a thought flew past his head. ‘The move must have really affected him a lot, if he’s acting so out of character.’

 

“Well, I’m glad you can admit it. I suppose, god or not, emotions are difficult.” Midoriya said with a sympathetic smile, a question lingered though. “What exactly brought this on though? Don’t get me wrong, I really am glad you said it but…it’s so out of character for you.”

 

**“This attack on the USJ, as I said, I already knew it would occur. There are…fixed points in time that cannot be changed regardless of what happens.       Magic affects the timeline in its own way and I cannot see the timelines were magic is not involved. Not clearly anyway, a side effect of my position, having so much magic flowing through me. I never warned you about the attack, because it was fixed. No matter what happened, no matter who knew what or who was where, the USJ incident WOULD occur, if for varying reasons. Normally I never say much about the future if anything to my marked. I let them make their own decisions. I did consider warning you however, too make up for the ten months of cluelessness I left you with. Except, if it old you, you’d warn your teachers and that would look VERY suspicious.”**

Midoriya simply quirked a confused eyebrow up and the god suddenly teleported to be standing at the edge of the rock, arms behind his back and looking into the distance. Briefly, Midoriya realized that was the longest he’d ever seen the Outsider stay still.

 

“ **They didn’t get in by coincidence Midoriya. Someone helped them in, they got their info from SOMEWHERE to know how to attack.”** Slowly the pieces fell into place and the greenette’s eyes widened in surprise. “ **If you had come in raving about the attack and then it happened, you would be a prime suspect trying to appear innocent. After all, you couldn’t exactly explain HOW you got that information.”**

 

Midoriya put his face into his hands and let out a groan. A traitor?! Seriously?

 

 **“And it will interest you to know, even I can’t see who it is. Whoever it is, they have more than just a quirk protecting them.”** Well fan-flipping-tastic. “ **Which brings me to the main point of this tangent AND visit, the demon.”**

Midoriya tensed.

 

**“I’m afraid…he was exactly what he claimed to be, more or less. A dead person, a very, very evil dead person who returned to life. I….I am hesitant to say much yet, there is something you will see soon, something that I had intended to wait for before I visited. I will be saving some information until then. But you should know, even a god can make mistakes. I made quite the egregious one….and you nearly payed the price for it. I have been blamed for many things, however the truly bad ones, I was never truly responsible for. I may have been involved in some capacity, but I was never the one who made the actual acts possible, at best I merely gave the tools to those who did commit the act. However, when I appeared here, I was foolish to assume everything could just work as it once had, that magic would be the same.”**

Midoriya just stared, he was starting to get lost. The outsider turned to him and his emotionless stoic face had returned.

 

**“If not for how I handled some things coming to this world, you’d not have this problem. That ‘demon’ was one of many, and almost all of them will likely only want one thing, your mark.”**

Oh….great. Just great.

 

“ **Remember that Hatsume had a certain inspiration for the equipment she made. I didn’t do that for no reason. You’ll need them, in the days to come. Like I said, I saw the USJ coming….however I saw nothing about the demon attack. I see almost nothing about demons at all, as they are neither human nor regular souls.”**

“Wait what?” Midoriya exclaimed as he suddenly shot up at that new information.

 

**“You’ll know in time, it won’t be subtle, you’ll know when it’s time. The nature of these demons, I do not know what I’m looking for to track any. Perhaps the traitor is one, that would explain my inability to see them. Either way, with this inability to see what they are doing or will be, I never saw the attack coming until it was happening in the USJ. Be diligent Midoriya, I made a mistake and if you’re not careful, I’m afraid you might pay for it. I’m sorry.”**

Midoriya had a hundred and one things he wanted to say to that.

 

However he never got to say any of them as he bolted up in his bed all of a sudden, suddenly awake. “What…”

 

He looked around, the light was off and it was dark. His All Might figurines surrounded him. He blinked. “What time is it?”

 

He picked up his phone and turned it on.

 

11:27PM

 

“Didn’t feel like that long…Does time pass differently in the void or something?” He wondered aloud. It frustrated him he couldn’t keep notes on One for All or the void and his magic at all as they had to be kept secret. The rest of his notes he had rewritten in a code only he and All Might knew at the blonde’s request. They had agreed One for All and the mark should not be included, but at times like this Midoriya hated that decision.

 

His thoughts drifted over the event and then cursed himself when he realized he had completely forgotten to tell both the Outsider AND All Might about his new power. He had been so distracted by everything else that it had completely slipped his mind.

 

He got out of bed, knowing that there was no way he was getting back to sleep any time soon. He took his phone with him as he headed to the kitchen. When he arrived there was a plate on the counter top with a note.

 

‘Izuku

 

You were asleep when I took this through. You’re still tired I guess? Just put this in the microwave and turn it on for 2 minutes. OXOX

 

-Mom’

 

He smiled when he finished reading and followed the instructions, placing the plate in the microwave and unlocking the phone as he waited. He had a bunch of new texts.

 

Most were pretty similar, all from his classmates, with the exceptions of Iida and Uraraka, who already had his number and Bakugou and Todoroki, who presumably just didn’t want to be a part of the group.

 

‘Hey Midoriya, this is [Classmate], when you get this add me to the chat please.”

 

They all had different ways of saying it, Ashido’s had used so much shortened text he had briefly worried she had had a stroke while typing, while Yaoyorozu’s had been very formal.

 

He sent them all the same message, apologizing for falling asleep on them and adding them to a group: “1-A GC”

 

Among them though, one message stood out amongst the rest.

 

907-543-XXX

 

Unknown: Hey. It Jirou. Can we tlak first before you add me? I have sumthing I gotta say. You probably asleep so I’ll wait. – 5:03

 

Unkown: *Talk – 5:04

 

You: Hi! Sorry I didn’t respond, fell asleep when I got home. Guess my body is addicted to sleep now. Aizawa’s gonna be jealous – 11:31

 

Unknown: Oh good, you’re finally awake. Don’t stress bout it dude, you have every right to sleep everything off. I…I wanted to apologize. – 11:31

You: … -11:32

You: That was suspiciously fast. – 11:32

Jirou: I plead the fifth – 11:33

You: OBJECTION! This isn’t America. Nice try. TAKE THAT! – 11:34

 

Jirou: Dude you play those games?! Not the time! We can talk PW later. Back to why I wanted to talk. -11:35

 

You: Yeah ok [I’m so spamming you later, I was just being silly but if you like AA then I am SO pressing every detail], what did you want to apologize for? You’ve not done anything wrong AFAIK – 11:36

 

Jirou: A) Terrible pun, I groaned so hard. Well done. B) Yeah, I do. Before we went to the USJ, you helped me feel better about myself. It maybe wasn’t much to you but…I appreciated it. I felt bad and you helped me feel better. – 11:38

 

You: Well I was just doing my best to be a good friend! -11:39

You: uheyu uh…sorry I should of asked if it was ok first before I called myself you’re friend! – 11:40

 

Jirou: Nah dude, its fine. We’re friends. But you helped me, and then the attack happened and we all got separated and you ended up with all the serious villains! I’m just sorry I couldn’t help you after what you did for me – 11:41

 

You: Permission to speak freely? – 11:41

 

Jirou: go ahead. Not like you NEED permission to talk. – 11:42

 

You: if it wasn’t for the fact I’m like 87% sure you’d punch me if I tried and I’m physically incapable of doing so from this distance, I’d totally hug you rn. You had no way of knowing the USJ attack was gonna happen, and when It did, the warp villain spread us out randomly, you couldn’t of done anything about it. Don’t beat yourself up over it, I definitely don’t hold it against you. – 11:44

 

Jirou: You say that but still…I feel guilty. I know I shouldn’t but I do – 11:45

Jirou: Which is why I’m totally hanging out with you at lunch when you get back to make up for it. No exceptions. – 11:46

 

You: I can accept this – 11:47

You: btw I figured out the hug issue! – 11:47

You: [Hug.Emoji] – 11:48

 

Jirou: [Fist.Emoji] – 11:50

You: Knew it! – 11:51

 

Jirou: … - 11:51

Jirou: …No one said it was a strong hit… - 11:52

 

You: ! – 11:53

You: You have no idea what you have just unleashed upon yourself >:) – 11:54

 

Jirou: Dork.

 

 

Midoriya smiled as he looked at the last message and let out a small chuckle. Only he could manage to have an eventful day were technically nothing actually happened.

 

He grabbed the plate of food and took it to the table, sitting down and eating. He added Jirou to the group chat and after some talking with everyone (and scolding by Iida that they should all be asleep.), the greenette finished his food and was on his way back to bed.

 

He stopped just outside his bedroom door.

 

“For the record….I’m not mad at you in case you’re worried.”

 

To any onlooker, he would look as if he was talking to nothing but the wind seemed to get just that little bit colder and Midoriya knew, the one he was talking to got his message. 

 

Now he just had to wonder what came next. Cause it was quite clear from the Outsiders visit and the fact the villains had got away: when it came to both demons and villains...

 

he could feel it, things had only just begun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not gonna lie, i was probably more tense about uploading this chapter than the last.


	17. PleAsE DOn'tKeEP REAdiNG! STOP!

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[I see you, all of you](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/519333391703736381/570786364640067592/RETURN.jpg)

 

 

 

 

 

 

   0                                                                                            0

 

 

 

\\_________________________________________________________________/


	18. Domino

Midoriya knew he didn’t look great. Nightmare after nightmare had plagued his mind. One had been about what would have happened if he _hadn’t_ been strong enough to affect Nomu. One had been about if All Might had never shown up.

 

But one nightmare kept recurring, reappearing amongst the rest. Midoriya shook his head, he didn’t want to focus on it. Despite it all, he had come to school and gone straight to the teachers’ lounge.

 

He had bags under his eyes, he still felt tired really and he was suppressing the urge to yawn but villains didn’t wait for a tired hero and so he wouldn’t treat school any differently!

 

He knocked on the door to the teacher’s lounge and waited to see if anyone would answer. After a moment the door slid open and All Might, in his skinny form, leaned out to see who was there.

 

When his eyes landed upon him he smiled wide and opened the door fully. “Ah, Midoriya my boy! What brings you here before class?”

 

“Hi, All- uh, I mean mister Toshinori.” The greenette quickly corrected himself and the blonde merely rolled his eyes. “Is Ectoplasm here? I need to talk to him about a new power.”

 

“Oh, another one has developed has it?” The blonde questioned as his eyes widened slightly, but he still retained a smile and motioned for the boy to follow him in. “Ectoplasm, Midoriya is here to see you.”

 

As the marked boy wandered in he saw a few of the other teachers were about, typing on computers or preparing to leave. Midnight nodded at him with a teasing smile. “Ah Midoriya, well now I know you’re here, I won’t have to write you up as late.”

 

"He wasn't required to attend today at all if he wasn’t up to it, per Recovery Girls instructions so you wouldn’t of anyways.” A new voice spoke up and Midoriya turned to see Ectoplasm walking towards him, the usual creepy grin upon his face. “So if you’re here then I’m assuming you need to set up a power training session? And speaking of Recovery girls insturctions you sure you want to be back? You still look pretty beat.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just bouncing back from it all. And Yeah I am here about a new power. It actually showed up during the USJ but I got so distracted with everything else that happened that it completely slipped my mind.” Midoriya explained as he walked with the teacher to his desk and watched as the man pulled out a notepad. “Sorry I didn’t come here sooner.”

 

“It’s no trouble, so long as you’re here now. It can hardly be held against you in that situation.” Ectoplasm assured him as the pro started writing something on the notepad in pencil. “So, first off, what can you tell me about this new power?  How did it develop? If I remember correctly it takes a desire for something to happen for a new power to develop?”

 

“Yes sir. Like I said, it was during the USJ. My friends and I had just escaped the shipwreck zone and we ended up surrounded by a couple of villains. I was trying to figure out some way for us to escape but no matter what combination of our powers or strategies nothing seemed like it would work, at least not without major consequences. Every good strategy I came up with I couldn’t keep every villain held back long enough for us to escape.” Midoriya recounted the experience as he leaned slightly against the desk with his arms crossed. “I end up frustrated and just wishing they would all go down at the same time, I knew I needed a way were hitting one would knock them all over…”

 

“And you’re new power came into being?” Ectoplasm asked as the boy trailed off. The greenette nodded. “And what did the power do?”

 

“Well, it manifested and made my hand hurt like hell. It caught me off guard and I ended up shouting out in pain. That was a mistake, the thugs reacted thinking I was about to attack so we just had to react, Asui jumped out the way and I fought back for a moment. I was just looking for an opening to run but….”

 

“But?” It wasn’t ectoplasm who question but All Might, who had been listening the whole time, presumably as his mentor wanted to know everything he could about the boy’s powers for future reference.

 

“When I dodged an attack, and finally got a look at the villains properly again after my hand flared up, there was a kind of yellow smoke around their heads. I don’t think they could see it and to me it was really dim. When I yanked one villain through the air with Far Reach, the rest also all went flying despite not being touched. Once I knocked one of the linked villains out, the rest all followed suit on the spot, and as far as I can tell their strength, stamina, etcetera didn’t matter so….After that, I didn’t try to use the power again at all.”

 

“Thank you, Midoriya. This is useful and I’m glad you did understand that this new power could be dangerous and that you didn’t ignore my telling you to avoid using any new powers straight away.” The cloning hero thanked him and set his pencil down but picked up a pen and started writing on a smaller bit of yellow paper, an ‘out of class’ slip Midoriya realized. “You’re free to return to class now, give this to your teacher in your class before lunch and come see me at Gym beta.”

 

~~~~ 

 

 1-A was just as ecstatic as they were yesterday when he showed up for class, most welcoming him back. Bakugou ignored him thankfully and he could feel Hagakure staring at him for some reason he didn’t understand.   He’d have to ask when he had some free time.

 

For now though, he had to blast through this maths test faster than One for All blasted through his bones. A part of him registered at least half the class would be glaring at him if they knew he had that thought.

 

Whether they’d be glaring because of the joke or because he wasn’t struggling with the math, well that just depended on the student.

 

As he finished the tenth question, his mind wandered. The group chat idea had taken off wonderfully, it was a beautiful mess of bad jokes, everyone getting annoyed at each other and just being friends. It had helped distract him whenever he woke up from another bad dream and didn’t want to return to sleep straight away.

 

His thoughts continued, he wondered what training Ectoplasm would devise later in the day. He was curious how it would be, having Jirou at lunch without her being upset.

 

_CRACK_

_‘You….you…..BRAT!’_

_Endless black eyes, full of fear and shock._

_An explosion of smoke._

_It wasn’t an escape, it wasn’t an escape, **it wasn’t an escape!**_

SNAP

 

Midoriya was jolted out of his thoughts as the pencil in his hand was broken in half from his grip. He saw a few of his classmates looking at him with quirked eyebrows.

 

He just shook his head and pulled out another pencil. The nightmares had been enough, but his brain seemed to want to attack him with one image over and over. He kept trying to ignore and focus on his work.

 

But every time his brain wandered, he’d see that ball of smoke hitting the demon.

 

As Midoriya scratched out an answer that was incorrect, he came to a realization.

 

He didn’t even know the villains name.

 

~~~~

 

Fifteen, Midoriya counted fifteen different clones of Ectoplasm in the gym and presumably the sixteenth ectoplasm waiting by the door for him, overseeing them all was the real Ectoplasm. For some reason, beside him was a table with a knife and what Midoriya recognized as his sword. ‘What’s that doing here?’

 

“Good, you’re here.” His teacher spoke up, confirming his suspicion. The man walked up to him and gestured to the clones who were in three rows of five. “Training will be simple. I didn’t think there would be a need to get others as we already knows it works on different people so it will just be my clones today. Better that way, now we don’t have to hold back.”

 

“Wait is that what those are for?” The greenette inquired as he pointed towards the blades. Ectoplasm nodded and all of sudden Midoriya felt unsettled.

 

“Before that, first let’s just focus on basic application.” Ectoplasm said as he gestured to the first row. “I want you to try to just link two of them for now.”

 

Midoriya nodded, taking a steadying breath and he walked up towards the row of clones. He held his left hand out towards the first clone, palm facing the ceiling, and he merely raised his hand as tired to focus on the desire that brought out his power the first time.

 

‘I want another to go down when this one goes down.’

 

Energy flared through his hand, though nowhere near as painful as it had been at the USJ. Midoriya looked and saw the yellow smoke from before circling the first clones head. He repeated the gesture once more on another clone behind him and nodded towards the real Ectoplasm.

 

“Great. Now I just want you to punch one as hard as you can. Without breaking your arm of course.” Midoriya narrowed his eyes at the jab at him in the instruction but followed it. He threw his strongest punch, and it connected with the clone’s stomach.

 

To his surprise, his punch had more strength in it than he knew he could produce without One for All as the clone was actually briefly lifted off its feet and thrown backwards. A small bang behind him attracted the boy’s attention he saw the other clone was also sprawled across the floor and just starting to stand up.

 

“Impressive. Is the link still formed?” Midoriya nodded. “Now the two clones will fight back. I obviously won’t go all out on you, just enough to simulate a real fight so we can see how this power would translate in such a scenario. Feel free to use you’re other powers.”

 

Midoriya nodded and his feet switched into a fighting stance. Both clones rushed him and he followed his gut reaction as both went to punch him, dodging out the way by jumping back. Both clones stopped before their hits collided with one another, however this meant they had left an opening when they stopped moving that the greenette pounced on.

 

He summoned his Far Reach, grabbing one clone by leg and tripping it up. The other clone followed suit, and both were falling through the air. Before they hit the ground though the tentacle wrapped around one of the clones once more and pulled hard, launching both through the air.

 

He let the first clone sail over him however as the second clone neared him he used his Far Reach one last time, wrapping it around the clones stomach and slamming it into the ground.

 

He heard the other clone collide with the floor however he didn’t turn to deal with that clone, instead dropping on top of the clone he had slammed into the ground, pinning it down.

 

“Well done.” Ectoplasm congratulated him and the clone beneath him turned into grey smoke. Midoriya knew it was just his teacher’s quirk. He knew the clone was still there, just returned to Ectoplasm. He knew nothing had happened.

 

But that wasn’t what he saw, as the clone evaporated all he saw, was the villain he killed at the USJ exploding into smoke.

 

Midoriya scrambled backwards and looked at the smoke with fearful eyes. It was gone a second later and the boy vaguely registered his teacher’s voice saying….something…but he couldn’t tell what.

 

His breathing has slowed, his eyes refused to close as he stared at the spot.

 

_CRACK_

_Eyes of surprise and fear_

_Smoke, smoke everywhere._

“Midoriya!” Ectoplasms voice finally rang through and he looked up to see his teacher was kneeling beside him. “You ok? Something wrong, is it the power?”

 

He slowly shook his head.

 

“Do you need to stop for now?” The teacher asked and again Midoriya shook his head.

 

“No, it’s….it’s stupid.” Midoriya dismissed it but Ectoplasm gave him a disbelieving look. It looked weird and creepy with the permanent smile stuck on the hero’s face.

 

“You froze up the second my clone disappeared. That doesn’t just happen for no reason, and in an actual fight you would have been dead if you froze up like that. I won’t push you but I’d rather I know if it’s going to affect your training.”

 

Midoriya sighed as he stood up. So Ectoplasm didn’t know then.

 

“In the USJ, I……I saw a villain die.” It had hurt when he had said he’d killed the demon to All Might, he didn’t want to deal with it again right now. “It was…he…..When he died, he exploded into a lot of smoke. A lot darker than yours but…”

 

There was a beat of silence as Ectoplasm digested this information.

 

“Ah….Yes, I can see how the smoke would bring back unpleasant memories.” The pro started. “You’re certain you want to continue?”

 

He nodded.

 

“Ok. Just let me know if you change your mind.” Ectoplasm didn’t press the issue, returning to his original position. “Are you ready to continue or do you still need a moment?”

 

“No, I’m good.” He wasn’t, not really, but he wanted to get through the training.

 

The rest of the training was relatively simple. First they found out his limit, he could only link five people together at most. Then they had done a bizarre exercise were Ectoplasm had had him yell his best insults at the clone. Nothing happened.

 

Apparently the man had been testing if emotions and feelings were also linked and was trying to get Midoriya to make him angry, and according to the hero they weren’t. Perhaps “you ghastly rip-off of a ghostbuster villain” wasn’t the best insult for inciting anger.

 

Finally, there was just one thing left to test.

 

Midoriya’s hand hovered over the table, with a knife and his word upon it. His arm was shaking and the more he looked at the weapons the more the horrible feeling in his stomach seemed to intensify.

 

He knew it was something they really needed to know, if there was any limit to what the physical link could do. The clones were expendable, they would simply turn to smoke and return to ectoplasm and they needed to know if a killing blow would be carried by the power.

 

But he couldn’t. His arm fell to his side and he looked at the floor. “I’m sorry…I can’t.”

 

“It’s ok, you’ve done well enough. If this is too difficult we can stop.” Ectoplasm reassures him and the boy leans against the wall. Something stands out to him.

 

“Why did you bring my sword?” He asked and the pro turned to look at him as he picked up the knife. “Hatsume said it can’t kill, and her teacher said that they had to run tests on it first. Are the tests over?”

 

“No. This was supposed to be one, combined with a training session. After all my clones are the closest thing to human and safest as well. It’s passed all its other tests so far, this would have tested against actual humanoids. I thought it would be good to get you used to using it as it seems it’s going work as intended. That isn’t happening now though.”

 

“Oh…sorry.”

 

“Stop apologizing.”

 

“Sorry….uh…I mean…..”

 

Ectoplasm just shook his head as he walked up to one of the linked clones. “Close your eyes.”

 

He complied. He heard a foot stop into the ground, then silence. After a moment the cloning pro gave him the instruction to open his eyes again. The linked clones were all gone.

 

“These kinds of blows do carry.” Was all the pro said as he turned back to face Midoriya. Only two clones were left beside the original. “I think that’s everything. You have twenty minutes of class left. Do you want to return now or is there anything?”

 

Midoriya’s eyes lit up as he remembered his thought process during lunch on the day of the USJ incident. “Actually sir, I do have something I’d like to test about my Far Reach if you’d let me.”

 

“I see no reason why not. What do you want to test?” The teacher inquired and Midoriya explained how Far Reach first manifested, how it wasn’t a massive tentacle but instead many small tendrils and that he had never had the power manifest that way again since. “So you want to see if you can re-create that particular version of the power?”

 

“Yes sir.”  Midoriya nodded and the pro walked into the middle of the room, beckoning for the teen to follow him. When they were stood in the middle of the gym his teacher turned to face him, holding one arm out to the side.

 

“Alright then. If it was a weaker version of the power then try to focus on not putting as much energy into the power.” Ectoplasm instructed. “All I want you to do is try to manifest those tendrils and wrap them around my arm. Go.”

 

And so Midoriya shot his hand forth, trying to reduce the amount of magic he channeled into his attack. The tentacle Far Reach always manifest as shot forth, wrapping around the pro’s arm. Midoriya immediately got rid of it and grumbled slightly. Ectoplasm was unfazed.

 

“Again, take more energy away.” He instructed. The greenette prepared again, limiting the energy much more this time. He hadn’t removed that much from the first attempt, only a little. Unfortunately this new amount also turned out ineffective as the power outright didn’t activate beyond a sputter of what looked like the tentacle trying to explode out his hand but being surprised.  “Don’t worry, no one expects you to be able to use your powers perfectly with less than a year of experience. You’ve already made massive progress on using your Far Reach power, just keep trying.”

 

And so they did. And very time they’d get the same two results.

 

The tentacle would appear at its normal strength, some of the tendrils wrapped around the main appendage occasionally twitching but never acting alone or it would barely form.

 

After a fifth attempt where once more the power didn’t even form, Midoriya wanted to scream. This was so frustrating! Why couldn’t it just work?! He threw his hand forward again, before Ectoplasm had even finished his order of “Again.” He was starting to feel like this wasn’t going to work at all…

 

And that’s when they final made some progress, his normal tentacle shot out and before Midoriya could shout in frustration it suddenly exploded, the main appendage completely gone and only the tendrils that wrapped around it left.

 

Midoriya laughed as he finally got it to work, and watched the tendrils twitch and move at his command. He focused on Ectoplasms arm and tried to instruct the tendrils to wrap around it. It seemed they were about to follow his command….and then they returned to his hand.

 

“OH COME ON!”

 

“Look on the bright side, now we know you can access those tendrils. Just keep practicing to reach that state and then you can focus on keeping them there and manipulating them.” Ectoplasm told him as the man walked to the gym entrance. “That’s not for now though, time is up. Go enjoy lunch, we can continue this another time. Well done.”

 

“Thank you sir.”

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya was only five minutes late to lunch, so he didn’t miss much. He was in for a surprise though when he went to his friends. Jirou had joined them like she had said she would but to Midoriya’s surprise Asui and Hagakure had joined as well.

 

“Oh, h-hey guys!” He greeted as he took a seat beside Uraraka and Iida, the rest of the girls across from them. He was getting better with interacting with girls outsider of high stress situations finally. He could still feel some heat in his face and his stutter had returned but it was nowhere as bad as it had been just two weeks ago. It was insane to think so much had happened in less than a month of school. “I-I knew Jirou was c-coming but this is a surprise. A good one I mean!”

 

Alright he was still pretty bad at it. Fortunately no one seemed to hold it over him. Asui, as blunt as ever, just told him her reason for being there. “Since we ended up stuck together at the USJ and you’ve only just got back, it felt right. Ribbit.”

 

“Ah.” Was all Midoriya let out as tried his best not stare at Hagakure eating. He hadn’t realized how weird it would be to see, the food just suddenly disappearing whenever she took a bite. He had a feeling the invisible girls reasoning for coming to their table would also be related to the USJ but he saw no reason to press the issue.

 

“So…” Midoriya began as he picked up his chopsticks and picked up a bit of food. “H-how is everyone then? I’m glad you are able to be here so soon Hagakure!”

 

“Yeah, doctors nowadays really are amazing, with quirks helping them and everything!” Hagakure exclaimed happily, somehow being really animated and expressive despite the fact her actual body couldn’t be seen. “I got out easy really, compared to what I heard you, Thirteen and mister Aizawa all got hit with.”

 

“A few broken bones? What else is new for me?” Midoriya asked with a slight grin. Even the normally blank-faced Asui glared at him for that. He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. “Too soon?”

 

“Yes! You really must break this pattern of getting injured every time you use your power Midoriya!” Iida told him, with a stern look and a tone that implied there would be no arguing against him, not that Midoriya disagreed.

 

“Speaking of Aizawa though….I hope he’ll be ok. Ribbit.” Asui spoke up with a concerned tone of voice. “They told us thirteen will come out fine but Aizawa….he apparently had his eyes damaged. Ribbit.”

 

Midoriya cringed slightly as the image of his teacher being smashed into the ground played through his mind. It was one of the many events of the USJ he’d never be able to forget. “Oh yeah, his quirk is tied to his eyes so if he can’t use them then….”

 

“He might have to resign.” Asui finished sadly. Uraraka though, ever optimistic cut in.

 

“Maybe, but its mister Aizawa, I wouldn’t put it past him to return by tomorrow just to spite the villains.” She said and Midoriya had to laugh a little despite himself. It did sound like their homeroom teacher.

 

“That would be an incredibly bad idea!” Iida immediately interjected. “He needs to recover, he likely shouldn’t be back until after the sports festival next week at least!”

 

“Oh yeah, the sports festival, I entirely forget about that.” Jirou spoke up as she started twirling one of her ear jacks. “With everything else that’s happened it completely slipped my mind.”

 

“Yeah, I get that.” Uraraka nodded with a mouthful of food, ignoring Iida’s scolding about ‘not speaking with your mouth full!’ “I only remembered this morning, I was going to go to the gym later today. You guys could totally join me if you want, they’re let anyone in to train!”

 

“Yeah, that seems like a good idea!” Hagakure spoke up. “I’d love to join, what about the rest of you guys?! It would be like a small hang out!”

 

“I’ll join, to ensure you actually train as is the intended purpose for the schools training facilities!” Iida stated dramatically. He was doing his best to keep his stern class principal act up. Midoriya decided to speak up.

 

“Don’t let Iida scare you, he won’t actually be that bad, he just wants to make sure everyone does their best. You can distract him pretty easily by coming up with something he can do as the class rep.” Iida immediately whipped around at that, a look of betrayal on his face as Uraraka laughed and Hagakure thanked him for the advice. Jirou smirked as she and Asui just watched.

 

“Midoriya! I am shocked! Do you use this weakness often on me?!”

 

“No, but I do agree you need to tone it down a little. Its admirable you’re so serious about school but remember what our initial meeting in the entrance exam was like?” Midoriya asked and Iida’s eyes seemed to darken in realization.

 

“That….yes, I suppose that is something to consider. Again, I apologize for how I acted that day.”

 

“It’s in the past, and I already forgave you.” Midoriya reassured him. “Just making sure it doesn’t repeat is all.”

 

“Me and Tsu will join as well.” Jirou spoke up, attracting the others attention. “No reason not to.”

 

“Great!” Hagakure cheered. “I’m glad I won’t have to go home immediately.”

 

“Ribbit? Is something the matter at home?” Asui asked, finger to her chin.

 

“Well, not at my home but near it. These weirdo’s set up shop recently calling it their ‘overseer outpost’, they wear these masks and practically scream at anyone walking by about ‘heretics’ and ‘magic’, nonsense like that.” The second the word magic left her mouth, Midoriya’s attention had become completely focused on her. ‘What?!’ “Call themselves the ‘Abbey’ or something.”

 

“’The Abbey of the Everyman?’” Midoriya questioned and the girl seemed to jolt in surprise.

 

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

 

“They were in the newspaper my mom gets delivered. I just ignored it so I don’t know anything about them though.” Midoriya explained and watched as the girl, upon hearing this, pulled her phone out of one of her pockets and started typing something.

 

“Hang on a second, just getting it up…” The girl then stopped typing and handed her phone over. It was the article he had ignored. “One of them actually had to be restrained by a pro yesterday when he wouldn’t stop harassing people.”

 

“That is appalling behavior!” Iida disapproved. Jirou said something next, then Asui. Midoriya stopped listening though, the world seemed to fade away around him.

 

The article was normal to a point, explaining the Abbey seemed to hate the idea of god to the point they were a religious construct designed around worshipping the lack of one. There was some accounts of their harassment of innocent citizens and the article demanded an explanation for why the Abbey wasn’t being stopped from doing this or even why.

 

It also listed their weird “Seven Strictures” which was the closest thing to their version of a bible apparently.

 

 The Abbey clearly wasn’t particularly sane from what Midoriya read but none of that could match up to the subheading near the bottom of the article.

**THE OUTSIDER! EVIL DEITY THE ABBEY WARNS?**

“They’re just a bunch of lunatic making it harder for people to get about in my area.” He heard Hagakure complain as he came back to awareness. “I’ve never been more glad I’m invisible than when I have to avoid those lunatics.”

 

“I don’t blame you. I’d probably snap if they started doing that in my area.” Jirou said and for once Iida didn’t scold them for the insinuation they might be violent against the group.

 

“Anyways, moving on from that…” Hagakure started, taking her phone back when Midoriya held it out. “You coming to the gym to Midori?”

 

“I….” He was going to say yes before. He could just text his mother he’d be at school training and he knew she wouldn’t object. But after reading the article….. “I’ve got something I need to do when school finishes actually. Sorry.”

 

“Awww.” Hagakure whined lightly. “We almost had full house.”

 

“Sorry, next time, I promise.”

 

“I’m holding you to that.”

 

~~~~

 

When school had finally ended, Midoriya had apologized to his friends and rushed home. He needed to know as soon as possible. He stopped only to hug his mother when he got him and reassure her he was alright before going to his room.

 

He almost tripped over one of his weights as he rushed towards his computer. He pulled up his search engine and immediately typed in to the search bar ‘Abbey of the everyman.’

 

Not much came up, mostly just variations of the same article. The only new information he found was who the group was currently run by, someone who apparently went by the name ‘High Overseer Naozumi’

 

He continued to search the internet but in the end, he learned very little more. He groaned as he stared at a webpage that had ended broken and disjointed due to some lazy programmer and set his head against the desk in frustration. Then it hit him, there was another way he could learn more.

 

A way he should have considered immediately. He leaned out his bedroom door to address him mom first. “Hey, I’m just going to have a nap for a little while ok?!”

 

“Ok Izuku! Just don’t sleep to long, I just started making dinner, something new, I hope you’ll like it!” He heard her holler back and he smiled lightly. Whatever it was he was sure it would be great if his mother made it.

 

He returned to his bed and laid down, eyes shut and he waited. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

 

“ **As that mentor of yours likes to proclaim so much, I am here.”**

 

Midoriya didn’t freak out like last time as he sat up slowly, after all he had actually expected to end up in the void this time. “Not gonna lie, it loses a lot of its impact when it’s said with no emotion.”

 

 **“I suppose. So you saw it, what I wished to wait for….well part of it.”** The outsider confirmed Midoriya’s suspicion as he seemed create a whole another island on the void. Upon it were multiple statues. Midoriya recognized one as himself, another as the demon he fought at the USJ and the third was a man he didn’t know, wearing a horrifying mask. There was also another two statues Midoriya couldn’t make out the features of as they were too far away. **“Actions have consequences, all actions. I have seen this many times, and as I told you yesterday, I have also experienced it recently. I won’t force you to do this, but I highly suggest investigating this Outpost your friend has told you about yourself personally.”**

Midoriya, before he could ask anything about it, was cut off as the world suddenly crumbled beneath him and he fell. Despite the ever increasing distance between him and the Outsider, he could hear the gods departing words quite clearly.

 

**“Make sure to cover your hands. You’ll regret it if you don’t and walk in there.”**

 

Midoriya gasped loudly as he shot up in bed all of a sudden.

 

“Izuku! Dinner’s ready sweetie!”

 

That settled it. Time must move differently in the void.

 

Also, he was definitely getting to the bottom of this “Abbey”


	19. The overseer Outpost

Midoriya struggled to focus as he went through the school day, regardless of how hard he tried his thought would constantly drift to the Abbey. Who were they? Why did they consider the Outsider evil? What did they know about magic? Could it help him understand his powers better seeing the outsider wasn’t very forthcoming on details?

 

Thoughts like this and more continued to swirl around his head, in amongst the occasional flashes of the demon. Fortunately this new mystery on his hands kept his mind from wandering that route for the most part. His hand ached lightly throughout the day, as if trying to send some kind of warning he couldn’t understand.

 

Lunch had passed quickly, the girls had joined him, Iida and Uraraka once more. They had talked about various subjects but Midoriya didn’t contribute much. He was sure Aizawa would have scolded him by now if the man wasn’t still recovering in hospital about how far off his attention was.

 

He wore a wrap around his hand, made of black tape as he couldn’t find any gloves. No one seemed to ask about it beyond a questioning glance from Iida.

 

He had been asked by All Might to meet him for a couple minutes after school and as much as he wanted to find out more about the Abbey as soon as possible, he agreed to meet him because there’s no way he could say no to his mentor.

 

Which is how he ended up outside the door to the teachers’ lounge for what would have been way, way too many times to some students. He briefly wondered if other classes thought he was a troublemaker constantly going to detention with how often he ended up at this room during lunch or after school. He shook his head with a small smirk as he opened the door.

 

“Ah Midoriya! I’m glad to see you finally made it. With how far off that look in your eyes has been I was worried you’d get lost.” Toshinori teased with a toothy grin. He was in his skinny form but what really caught the greenette’s attention was that across from his mentor was a dark-haired man wearing a trench coat.

 

“Sorry mister Toshinori!” Midoriya bowed as he apologized. In the corner of his vision he saw the man quirk an eyebrow. Wait did he know? “I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

 

“That’s not surprising. The USJ has surely left a lot of thoughts in everyone’s heads.” The mystery man spoke as he stood up. He turned to face the marked boy with a smile. “I’m detective Tsukauchi. I was the detective assigned to the USJ case and I’m a friend of All Might’s. He tells me you’re a friend too.”

 

“He’s more than that.” All Might laughed as he stood up. “He’s my successor, the future of One for All, I told you that already.”

 

“Wait he knows?” Midoriya blurted out before his hand clamped over his mouth and he bowed. “I’m sorry! That was rude to say it like that.”

 

“No worries, I understand the surprise. It’s a big secret so some no-name detective knowing probably worried you a bit.” Tsukauchi said with a grin. “Like I said, I’m a friend. But I’m not here to catch up, I’m here to talk to you Midoriya.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You were debatably the most effected by the entire USJ event, as you not only had to talk to those villains but also according to All Might and a few of the students you had to fight the villain meant for fighting All Might.” The grin had disappeared and a serious look had took over on the detectives face. “And I hear there is another event that occurred that we may want to know about. You don’t need to talk about any of this today but we need to talk at some point as your account of events will be important.”

 

“O-oh.” Was all that left Midoriya’s mouth. It made sense, and he could explain the events of the USJ easily enough but the event within the USJ……His body involuntary started to shake as his thoughts turned to smoke.

 

“Before you freak out, you don’t need to talk about it right now.” Tsukauchi said quickly when he noticed. “In regards to the second, you don’t need to talk about it all if it’s too difficult. The rest of the story, we can set a date for me to visit, would that work?”

 

Midoriya just nodded as he breathed in and out slowly. That was better, he didn’t need to talk about it. Now if his body would just calm down he could set a time.

 

“Midoriya, you ok?” Tsukauchi asked with concerned eyes as he took out a notepad and ripped a page out.

 

“Y-yeah. Sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologise, it’s a normal reaction to a traumatic event. I don’t want to overstep my boundaries but here.” The detective handed him the page, written on it was a number. “It’s the phone number of a mental health center in Musutafu. It’s possible these events could have caused you or your classmates to have developed PTSD. If you do call, tell them you are a UA student, the police took the liberty of talking to different center’s near each students home seeing as this was such a worrying event.” Tsukauchi explained. Midoriya read the number a few times over again. “So, is there any time you can think of where I could drop by? Your address is already on record.”

 

“Uh….” Midoriya placed his hand to his chin as he bit his lip. Today was a Thursday. A part of him was sure whatever he’d find out later today he would probably need a day to rest from, he just had a gut feeling. “Probably…. Saturday would be the best. Is there anything else you need? Not to be rude but I have somewhere I want to get to as soon as possible.”

 

“No worries, that was all.” Tsukauchi assured him with a smile as the man wrote down in his notebook.

 

“Izuku my boy, be safe!” All Might called and Midoriya nodded as he turned to leave. “Goodbye.”

 

“Bye!”

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya inhaled sharply as he looked up at the looming four story building. It was hardly the tallest or most run down building around but something about it was rather intimidating. Like it was watching everything. A podium was at the front and stood upon it practically screaming at passerby’s was a man in slightly dirty looking robes. A belt hung around his person and a part of it looked like a holster for a pistol. Midoriya’s eyes narrowed at that ‘not worrying at all!’

 

The man wore a mask that could only be described as extremely creepy, a permanent angry scowl was etched into the metal. Briefly Midoriya wondered how they could carry presumably heavy metal on their face for hours. Did they ever take it off?

 

“-Anton flesh! Errant mind! The strictures are clear! Do not let these warnings, these rules go to waste. Buddhism is a lie, Christianity is a front. Do not allow these false ‘religions’ to corrupt your souls! The only god is the outsider and he must be renounced! Do not heed his evil call! Do not let the dark magic of this world tear your soul asunder!”

 

‘Charming. What a joy talking to this guy is going to be!’ Midoriya thought sarcastically as he rolled his eyes at the display. He made a mental note to do something nice for Hagakure later if she had to pass this guy everyday just to travel.

 

“Anyone of the people around you can already be corrupted by this darkest magic. Your mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons! Learn to repress the evil curses the Outsider has put on all of you. The Abbey will be sure to be the salvation for those who do not follow the path of evil!” Midoriya had to bite his tongue lightly to keep from making any snide comments as he walked up to the man. The masked weirdo then looked down and seemed to finally notice Midoriya who stood in front of the podium. No one else had stopped for the speech. “You! Are you another criticizer of the Abbey of the Everyman? You are not welcome here! We overseers won’t allow you to stop us spreading our messages, those who are smart heed our warnings!”

 

“N-No, that’s not it! I want to…heed…your warnings. I am uneducated, I want to be taught what I must avoid by the overseers!” Midoriya exclaimed, kneeling. He didn’t know why, he probably looked like an idiot but it felt right to convince the ‘Overseer.’ The man stepped off the podium and seemed to inspect him for a moment.

 

“This hair color, it is highly unusually. Reminiscent of a residual effect of an evil curse. You may not step in theses premises if evil dwells in your heart! Do not lie to me, I can see evil and its intent from miles away!” The overseer accused as he pointed. ‘My…hair? My hair is what he has issue with?’

 

“Uh... Noo! This IS the residue of an evil curse however it was cast off long ago. I have forever been marked by it, it is how I know I must heed the abbey’s words!” Midoriya cringed as he spouted random nonsense. ‘God I’m bad at this.’

 

“Truly? Then we must not dawdle! Hurry inside. The front desk, brother Kobi will guide you. May you finally purge your soul of the final traces of evil that has plagued you, child.” The overseer said as he gestured to a set of double doors. “Tell him Overseer Hisaki permitted your entrance.”

 

The greenette just nodded. He had a feeling he was right about the thought he had earlier that he’d need to lie down afterwards. If only to recover from the stupidity and bizarreness of this encounter with just one of these guys.

 

The inside wasn’t impressive, most of the structure seemed to be supported by wood. It looked like it had been displaced in time, rather than being a natural building built in the 22nd century, it looked more like a Victorian ere building than anything. He saw another masked man leaning against a desk when he walked in, reading some documents.

 

“Hello? Overseer Hisaki sent me in.” Midoriya said and the man looked up. He seemed to freeze for a moment when he noticed the boy’s appearance. ‘Is my hair really that weird to these guys?’

 

“To what end?” The new overseer, presumably Kobi, asked cautiously as he put the documents away.

 

“To… learn. I want to know about the threats your warning people about, so I can be prepared to avoid them. I have already payed the price once for my ignorance. You can see the proof in the completely… unnatural color of my hair.” Well technically it wasn’t a lie, for years green wasn’t a natural hair color.

 

“Ah. Then talk to me, child. My brother has sent you in to be guided, I will make sure that happens. I must know to help, so tell me what you wish to learn more about.” The overseer said as he bowed ever slightly at the end. ‘Kobi and Hisaki are related? At least Kobi is kind of nice.’

 

“Well, Overseer Hisaki mentioned an ‘Outsider’ in his speech just before he talked to me. Who is the outsider?” Midoriya asked as he tried not to grin. Lying wasn’t his strong suit in the first place but that was probably the most bold-faced one he’d ever told.

 

“Child! Be careful what you ask about.” Kobi warned, as somehow his mask seemed to darken in warning. ‘How do you even do that with a mask?’ “Such questions border upon heresy. He is the only god, and he is as evil as they come. These disgusting ‘quirks’ as those outside call them are his most devious creation.”

 

“Oh? If I may ask for an elaboration please? I don’t disagree…” ‘Yes I very much disagree, what the hell do they mean evil?!’ “I merely would just like to be certain I understand. To be prepared against these….curses.”

 

“Of course. These horrifying…abilities…that so many now possess, these ignorant souls choose to believe it is some foolish ‘evolution’ that is natural. IT is anything but! These curses were infested within human’s years ago, and they were infested by the black-hearted outsider! You must renounce all of these curses that reside within, lest you fall to the temptation of evil, do not let these perversions of human nature into you!”

 

“Riiiighhht…” Midoriya trailed as he crossed his arms. Already his head was starting to hurt. ‘I thought the outsider’s only been here for like a few years at most though?’ “And what about those permanently, drastically changed by their…curses?”

 

“We do not have the authority to do what is right.” The overseer bit out as he stood up. “They must be put down. The curses have infected them beyond salvation, we must protect the rest of the populace. One day we will get that authority from this ignorant government and purge the evil from the world.”

 

‘Oh great they’re racists as well. Wait, Hagakure is a mutant type so…’ Midoriya shuddered at the implications of what that could mean if they ever did somehow obtain the authority they wanted.

 

“I’m afraid I have some very important documents to attend to child. There is a library on the second floor. You can learn more of the truth there. Do NOT dare stray any further than that floor child, or there will be consequences.” Midoriya shivered lightly at the tone. Somehow he got the feeling he didn’t want to know what these consequences were. He nodded and walked off towards the massive staircase just past the desk. As he walked up the stairs he could see in some windows were more overseers either doing menial tasks or talking to each other.

 

He clicked his tongue in frustration as he looked for the library. So far he’d only really gotten more questions about the abbey and no real answers. The ache in his hand seemed to get worse as he continued walking. In fact now that he thought about it his mark had been irritating him since he had come near the building, like it was trying to warn him of something. ‘This library better show up soon. I just want some answ-AHHH!”

 

He stopped as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. His hand shot up to grab it as he hissed. He looked in every direction, looking to see if someone had hit him but as far as he could see he was alone. ‘What the hell?! What was that?’

 

He stopped for a moment as he rolled up his sleeve, only to see no damage at all. His eyes narrowed as he inspected it. He had felt like he’d been stabbed and yet there was no damage?

 

“Library, I need that library.” Midoriya muttered as he shook his head. Whatever that was could wait, if he couldn’t tell what happened straight away.

 

It took him a couple of minutes but eventually he found the right door, looking inside revealed a relatively decent sized library. Neither massive nor small, just moderate. It was thankfully organized by alphabet so it only took a couple of moments to find the books he wanted.

 

He set them down at a nearby table and looked over the three he had picked out.

 

‘Abbey of the everyman: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.’

‘Heretics and the seven strictures.’

‘The Outsider: threat beyond the confines of reality.’

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya stared at the three books once more as he finished reading. He blinked slowly as he replayed the information he had learned in his head.

 

The first book had talked about how the abbey apparently existed to oppose dark magic, and eradicate those who would use it, heretics. There methods were most certainly not legal, forms of torture and murder had been graphically detailed in the book and the more Midoriya read the more ill he felt. ‘Is it even possible to do that with someone’s tongue?!’

 

The second had mostly repeated a lot of the graphic methods the group used however it also labeled the ways to identify heretics, such as inhuman abilities, unnatural skin color and reluctance to comply with Overseers. The final identifier had seriously worried Midoriya if they truly used all these methods on suspected heretics: gut instinct. If an overseer had a gut feeling someone was a heretic, then they could be considered a heretic. ‘This is outdated right? Please tell me it is.’

 

He checked the date and blanched when he realized this particular book has been put in the library just a week ago. ‘The hell?! This is the things they want authority to do?’

 

The strictures were mostly behaviors and etiquette the Abbey expected people to follow. Apparently regardless of who they were or what they believed in. ‘Is it even legal for these guys to exist like this?’

 

The final book, the most important one, had at least provided some levity at first. He had been worried what he would find within, what the Abbey had to say about the god that had granted his powers, that he had been being observed by for months now.

 

Instead, within he had found very, _very_ inaccurate descriptions of the outsider, describing his appearance as monstrous, with no corporeal form, spiked teeth and irises of pure evil. While that was amusing enough with how inaccurate it was (though admittedly horrifying to picture), the description of the Outsiders personality he had started to lose it at.

 

It described the god as adopting a falsely jovial personality, enticing in innocent souls to pervert them with his evil touch. It presumed him to be joyful and energetic, able to manipulate his prey based upon their emotions.

 

If it wasn’t for the fact he didn’t want to attract attention to himself he would of broken down laughing imagining the real Outsider trying to act as jovial as his mentor did.

 

However the laughter soon died when he read one final excerpt before he had closed the book. It has recounted the tale of a man supposedly touched by the outsider, a man who had a marking upon his left hand very much like Midoriya, a man who had possessed many abilities.

 

A man who killed many for his own personal gain, to get coin. Daud, a man touched by the void and who apparently killed hundreds before disappearing mysteriously. He was apparently never caught.

 

Midoriya felt the wind knocked out of him as he had re-read that excerpt over and over.

 

The outsider had marked someone…

 

…And they had killed countless people…

 

…Just like he had with the demon.

 

Just like….

 

Smoke.

 

So much smoke.

 

Smoke everywhere, smoke suffocating.

 

Can’t breathe.

 

Smoke. Death. Murder.

 

Murdered.

 

Smoke.

 

Murder.

 

Smoke.

 

Demon

 

Murdered

 

Smoke.

 

Smokedemonmurderdemon **mudersmokemurderdemonsmokedemonmurder _demonmudersmokemurderdemonsmokedemonmurderdemonmudersmokemurder_** ** _demonsmokedemonmurderdemon_** ** _mudersmokemurderdemonsmokedemonmurderdemonmudersmoke_** ** _murderdemonsmokedemonmurderdemonmudersmokemurderdemonsmokedemon_** ** _murderdemonmudersmokemurderdemonsmokedemonmurderdemonmudersmoke_** ** _murderdemonsmokedemonmurderdemonmudersmokemurderdemonsmokedemonmurderdemonmudersmokemurderdemon_**

****

**_M U R D E R E R!_ **

 

BANG!


	20. Haruki Aki

BANG!

 

Midoriya jumped at the loud noise and on instinct immediately shot out of his chair, aiming his hand at the door on instinct. However it didn’t open, he could hear muffled voices on the other side but not what they were saying.

 

Slowly he stalked forward as he started to lower his hand, though still remained ready to shoot it out at any moment. He briefly contemplated using Dark Vision but regardless of whether it was a normal quirk or not or if anyone could even see it being used, it would still break quirk regulation rules. He’d need a better reason than this to use it. Once he got to the door he kneeled down and looked out the key hole, ear close enough to the door to make out what was being said.

 

“-eriously! This building is not what it once was!” Came overseer Hisaki’s voice, chewing out the other overseer.

 

“I can only apologize so much brother! If you wish to continue berating someone, find whoever messed up the carpet for me to trip!” The second overseer grumbled, the greenette didn’t recognize the voice. “Now back to what we were talking about?”

 

“Of course, brother. As predicted, the heretic has proven to be difficult to get to talk.” Hisaki complained and Midoriya’s breathe hitched. ‘Heretic? Oh please don’t tell me…’ “We have tried as many options as we could, even transferred him out of sight, onto the third floor so we could use our strongest methods. But evil, as always, is persistent. Still there are some left to try, and even if none work we can take solace in the fact we can eradicate one more evil from the world.”

 

Crap…

 

“Father will not be pleased, I don’t think.” The unknown overseer comments.

 

“Then we are doing what is right, brother.” Hisaki reassures as a new set of footsteps arrive outside.

 

“Of course.”

 

‘Do none of these guys know how to speak normally? Like seriously?!’

 

“Brothers! Do not discuss these matter so freely right now!” Came overseer Kobi’s voice, sounding irritated. “We may have let that one child in, but only because we must use every avenue we have to convince people! He still may not accept our ways yet. He has surely found the books on our methods by now, now I must convince him these are important to how we proceed. This will be delicate as is and we can’t have unnecessary information reaching him!”

 

“Of course, apologies brother.” Hisaki says as he bows. “I will return outside in a moment.”

 

“Yes and I think I will go see if they need help with….proceedings.” The other overseer bows. Midoriya feels his anxiety spike at the word proceedings, knowing what it meant.

 

"Alright, then I shall do my best to rectify my failings. We can no longer bolster our ranks through normal safe measures, we must accept and use what we have from now on. I only hope it won’t be too hard to convince him.” Kobi says as he turns to face the door, reaching for the handle.

 

Midoriya immediately backed up as a scowl crossed his face. ‘Yeah there’s my reason, there’s no way in hell I’m listening to you right now.’

 

He aimed his hand and shot out Far Reach, landing atop a bookshelf. It very nearly toppled from his weight but fortunately stayed upright. He pushed up against the wall and hoped he’d be out of sight long enough, activating Dark Vision to track the two overseers outside who merely left without looking back.

 

Kobi walked in and looked around, fortunately he didn’t look up. He grumbled as he walked up to the books the greenette had left on the table. “So he’s read them then….”

 

Midoriya took his chance while the overseer was distracted. Just above the door was a kind of window above, that was open and he used his tentacle to get over to it without making much noise. It was small, but not enough that Midoriya couldn’t squeeze through with a little wriggling. Once he was on the other side he immediately hopped to the ground and took off as fast as he could while still maintaining the illusion of walking.

 

He avoided running into any overseers, using his Dark Vision to know when they were about to come near him so he could hide. He had a close call where he was nearly seen using his Far Reach to hide on top of some support beams at one point.

 

It only took five minutes to get to the third floor, the hard part would be finding the ‘heretic’. As soon as it ran out, Midoriya would renew his vision power, carefully listing for any indication of someone aside from the overseers.

 

Eventually he happened upon a small hallway, and even without his powers he could have told something was off. His stomach twisted at the smell and upon the walls, there were small but visible red streaks. Just big enough for Midoriya to assume they were stains from fingers dragging against the walls.

 

Fortunately, this door also had a similar window above like in the library. Very few in the building didn’t as Midoriya realized when he had rushed up here. He quickly used his tentacle power to get up to it and once more wiggle through, perching on the tiny bit of the path it give him on the other side.

 

It wasn’t particularly well hidden but as soon as he looked around the inside of the room it quickly became apparent it was the only hiding spot. A tarp covered the walls to prevent stains, and a chair and table in the middle of the room were all furniture around.

 

Upon the table was many different tools, most of which seemed to have sharp pointy endings or clamps. What really made Midoriya want to throw up though, aside from how much worse the smell had got inside the room, was that most if not all of the tools were coated in something red. He had to hold a hand over his mouth not to throw up or even just gag and reveal his position.

 

In the chair, was a normal looking man who’d been tied to it with rope. He had short black hair and a dark eye that seemed to have lost most of the life behind him, the other had swollen so Midoriya could only assume it was the same. He wore a normal suit, without a jacket. However it was stained and ripped in so many places, there was more red than white on the shirt. Incidentally it wasn’t too dissimilar from how much of the color the greenette was starting to see in his mind.

 

“I will ask you one more time…” A new overseer growled at his victim, outfitted like the rest but covered in many, many red stains. “…what do you know about demons?!”

 

Midoriya froze. What?

 

“Go… fuck…. Yourself…” The man managed to say, in between violent coughing. “I told….you…..I don’t know anything.”

 

“Oh quite the contrary. You know exactly why we targeted you Haruki, I’d wager. Admit what you know you witch!” The overseer started to pick up a knife.

  
“It was….just a name! It doesn’t…mean anything…you lunatics!” The man, Haruki hissed. Midoriya could see fresh blood in his mouth and with it yet another spike to the boy’s rapidly increasing anger.

 

“Not good enough! Tell us why the Outsider created these foul machinations! Why did he create these demons?!” The overseer was inching closer. Midoriya took aim, he had hit his limit.

 

Haruki seemed to muster al his strength to do something, which turned out to be spitting on the overseer. It would be gross normally but the amount of blood in the one small ball of spit was copious.

 

It was even worse than All Might’s occasional coughing fits.

 

The overseer held up the knife, clearly intent on stabbing Haruki and that’s when Midoriya intervened. Far Reach shot out, wrapping around the overseers hand and yanking him back, right towards Midoriya who barely dodged out the way.

 

He landed on the floor and rolled to the side, the landing was hardly smooth but it could have been much worse. A soft broken laugh comes from the man tied up, it doesn’t take Midoriya long to realize why as he turns.

 

In the window he had crawled through the Overseer was now half stuck in, feet wiggling. On the other side his muffled voice could be heard calling for help. Midoriya couldn’t restrain his smirk but knew if he was still conscious then they didn’t have long to escape.

 

He rushed over and grasped at the ropes, thanks to his enhanced strength they were tore apart in seconds. “Are you okay sir? Can you walk?”        

 

“Y..yeah, what?” The man questioned when he actually got a proper look at Midoriya. “You’re just a…. kid? Wha….what are you doing here?”

 

“Right now? Rescuing you hopefully.” Midoriya said as he helped the man stand. He clearly wasn’t going to get far as he nearly collapsed before the boy held him up. “We probably don’t have long. I managed to trick them on my way in but they’ve probably realized by now. If they did this to you then I doubt we want to run into them.”

 

“Kid….Shouldn’t a pro be doing this?” The man questioned as Midoriya opened the door and they hobbled out as quickly as possible, both choosing to ignore the overseers angry yelling above them. “This isn’t right, these guys have pistols and shit…. you shouldn’t be here…”

 

“Neither should you I bet, but you are.” Midoriya says back, not giving him a straight answer to his question and cursing his luck. ‘Of course the masked racists have weapons, of course they do!’ He activated his Dark Vision and almost swore when he saw a group of overseers coming their way from where he had travelled before. “They’re coming from the normal route, we’ll have to try the roof. It’s not ideal but I’m gonna carry you ok?”

 

“Kid I really doubt you have the-WOAH!” The man didn’t have the opportunity to finish his sentence as Midoriya hoisted him over his shoulder. “Well….never mind then.”

 

“Sorry, but we can’t really afford to be slow here.” Midoriya said. They turn a corner and Midoriya can see a staircase coming up. Behind them Midoriya can hear stomping footsteps following. “And if you don’t pass out it will be useful to have a pair of eyes looking behind.”

 

“Yeah….that makes-” A harsh cough interrupts and Midoriya flinches, it really isn’t pleasant. They quickly reach the top floor. “-sense…sorry about that. You never…answered my question…who are you?”

 

“Izuku Midoriya.” The greenette supplies as he looks around and this time he does curse. The door to the rooftop was on the other side of the building from what Midoriya remembered about the outside. The fourth floor was mainly rooms in small halls and one giant balcony overlooking the first floor. A balcony crowed with angry overseers rushing towards them. “Haruki, right?”

 

“Haruki Aki, yeah. And we got incoming.” The man said and Midoriya gritted his teeth. “And considering….we’ve stopped…”

 

Midoriya didn’t confirm it. His legs slide across the floor as he prepared himself.

 

“Haruki Aki… I don’t know who you are or why these guys wanted you, what you do or what you want…” Not just energy but fire flowed through Midoriya as several clicks rang through the air. A chandelier was the only thing between the two sides of the balconies, the only path without overseers. ‘Only one shot at this’ “…But like I said, I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’m a student at U.A. and I WILL save you! HOLD ON TIGHT!”

 

BANG, BANG, BANG!

 

Several bullets fly at them and finally, Midoriya is certain the way the world slows down whenever he is attacked must be a power in of itself. He tightens his grip on Haruki as his hand shot forward and Far Reach shoots out, wrapping around the chandelier and dragging him to it, just in time to avoid the incoming gunshots.

 

The greenette hears the pistols being reloaded and cocked but he refuses to be distracted as he flies across the room. A thought crosses his mind as he gets closer to the other side of the building. “By the way, if you are able to use it, it might be important to know your quirk!”

 

They landed safely enough before Aki can answer and immediately Izuku bolted towards the roof.

 

“Shadow control.” Aki groaned and Midoriya grimaced. He doubted that stunt was good for the man’s injuries. Midoriya kicked open a door and they found themselves on the roof finally. “I can manipulate….how shadows form or I can bring them…to life…temporarily. Only small ones though….I just do it as a party trick…for my daughter.”

 

Midoriya processed that information slowly as he settled the man down on the ground for a moment so the marked boy could figure out how to get down. There was no near building nearby they could use his tentacle to get to and the floor was too far down to risk jumping, especially for Aki.

 

‘He has a daughter…..’

 

“You know you can’t fight them?” Aki asks and Midoriya looks down without answering. “There’s no way you’re more than a first year, you can’t have a license yet. Fighting would get you in serious trouble. Don’t do it for an old man like me.”

 

“If I I’m going let something as small as a law stop me from saving someone’s life, then I would never started down this path.” Aki sighs but doesn’t argue. “I have a plan, but it’s going to depend on you Aki.” Midoriya said. “It’s going to really drag on your quirk though, if you can do it.”

 

“Hey, can’t let someone… your age do ALL the work.” The man smirks and Midoriya can’t help but smile back. “Might as well hear it out before they get here.

 

“Right, well….”

 

~~~~

 

Aki had his eyes shut as he sat against the bars as he did his best to focus. Midoriya was worried what he had asked of the man was too much but it was the best plan he could come up with, with his limited information.

 

“You! Your hand….YOU ARE THE WORST KIND OF HERETIC!” Overseer Kobi’s voice screamed out in indignant rage. Midoriya turned and to his surprise there was only three overseers stood there. Looking down revealed that at some point his wrap had fallen off, exposing his mark for all to see. “I can’t believe we let this heretic in!”

 

“Calm yourself brother.” The overseer in the middle of the three said, merely sounding irate. “Kobi, Hisaki. This is your mess, take aim and fix it.”

 

“Oh? And who are you? If you’re the guy running the place you SUCK at it you know!” Midoriya asked, stalling for time while the other two overseers went for their guns. The man seemed to be willing to amuse him as he took off his mask and Midoriya’s breathed hitched.

 

A man with brown hair, and similarly brown eyes stared back, jawline strong with a crooked nose and harsh scar down the side of his face.

 

“High Overseer Naozumi, at your service.” The man smirked at the shocked look on the greenette’s face “And I’d say I run this place better than filth such as yourself ever could.”

 

“Well, it’s hardly my fault I’m not in any business school courses!”

 

…..

 

‘Worst. Comeback. Ever. Thanks a lot brain.’

 

“…I’m going to be honest I don’t know to respond to that.” Naozumi said, his eyes showing clear confusion, shifting between him and the shadow manipulator. “I’m going to choose to draw a veil over that and just say this….It’s nice to be able to rid the world of two evil souls now instead of one. Prepare to fire.”

 

The pistols pointed at him were cocked.

 

It was a hopeless situation, he was outnumbered, his powers were useless or too dangerous to use and he was seconds away from being shot.

 

So he did the only thing he could in this situation.

 

He smiled.

 

His foot took a step forward, ready to attempt the impossible.

 

BANG! BANG!

 

The guns fired, and then it happened.

 

He froze and once more smoke clouded his vision.

 

Smoke from the guns. Smoke. Smoke.

Murder.

 

Time slowed down, he could still see reality, but he trapped in a false one at the same time, smoke all around.

 

Murderer

 

Smoke.

 

Demon.

 

The bullets flew. One at him, the other right at Aki.

 

He couldn’t move.

 

Smoke.

 

Explosion.

 

Demon.

 

Green eyes trailed along the path of the projectile. Heading straight for the man’s heart.

 

Laughter.

 

Explosion.

 

Fearful eyes watched the bullet barreling towards them.

 

_“I just do it as a party trick…for my daughter.”_

_“I WILL save you!”_

His hand shot out before he could even form a coherent thought, and Far Reach came out, pulling him right towards Aki. He couldn’t aim to grab the bullet, he wasn’t fast enough for that.

 

Aki couldn’t take another hit.

 

But Midoriya could!

 

“AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” He screamed out as white hot pain suddenly ripped through his arm. It hurt like hell, he gritted his teeth and turned to face the overseers while clutching his arm. Aki jolted forward in surprise and his phone flew out his pocket when it happened.

 

“Midoriya!”

 

 “He, ahh!….He has a daughter…and you were just going to throw his life away? Make an innocent girl suffer?” Izuku asks with a scowl. His mark glowed and he finally felt a bit of relief when he saw yellow smoke surrounding all three overseers’ heads. He did his best to ignore the hot liquid pouring between his fingers.

 

“She’d manage. If she also follows her father’s footsteps we will purge her as well.”

 

Midoriya’s energy surged, and not from any power this time. His eyes narrowed into a glare.

 

BEEP!

 

Aki’s phone screen lit up. It was facing towards the greenette and when he saw what was written on it, the notification that had just arrived….

 

 

My little Kokage: **Daddy, were are yu? Im scerd –** 17:52

 

 

 

The writing was understandable but it didn’t take Midoriya long to realize from how badly done it was that the kid couldn’t be that old.

 

He liked to think he was patient. He could stand a lot of things.

 

“Aki….How old….How old is she?” He tried his best to keep a level voice, he really did. The shake got in their anyways.

 

“Scared?” Naozumi asked with a twisted grin as he noticed it.

 

Bakugou’s temper, Aizawa’s stress inducing ‘falsehoods’, the League of Villains deciding to attack.

 

“Four. She’s… four.”

 

That was the final push. Midoriya was no longer angry.

 

He was pissed.

 

What he couldn’t EVER stand was the thought of a child being hurt. Physically, mentally, at all.

 

“Aki. Do it, now.” His voice dropped to being much colder, much more deadly. “DO IT!”

 

“R-right!” The man coughed and suddenly, a giant mass of shadow rose up, transforming into a ramp and wrapping around the bars on the roof. Aki clambered onto it. “Midoriya come on! I can’t hold… this for long!”

 

“I’ll be there in a minute. GO!” Midoriya screamed at him when he looked like he was about to protest and the man got the message quickly, sliding down and away from the scene. “We can’t let you follow us anyways.”

 

“Oh my, you’re actively choosing to fight back?” Naozumi asked in a teasing voice, a dangerous look in his eyes. “Is that not illegal? I’m sure the police will not be happy when they hear this.”

 

“Yeah, well I have some hefty sway.” Midoriya snarled as he shot his hand out. Far Reach wrapped around Kobi’s neck and stayed there. “Oh and speaking of the law, you’re pointing pistols at me. Meaning I’m in my right to do this!”

 

Without restraint he smashed Kobi’s head into the ground. The crunch wasn’t pleasant. Barely a second after both Naozumi and Hisaki also felt the pain as they fell over. Midoriya wasn’t worried, the mask would have blocked the brunt of the blow so they would live and he had to move. He quickly grabbed Aki’s phone with his tentacle

 

He turned and leaped over most of the ramp, only landing and sliding down it right towards the end. It was faster than just sliding and he didn’t want Aki holding it up for too long.

 

He reached the end of the ramp and immediately the giant shadow disappeared. Aki fell right into him, clearly tired. “Heh…..Didn’t…..think I could….pull that off.”

 

“You did great.” Midoriya reassured with a small smile as he fished out his phone and handed the man his own. “Here. We need to move before they find us, I have a friend who lives nearby.”

 

The two held onto each other and they hobbled forward as Midoriya pulled up his contacts.

 

 

 

The Invisionable Girl.

 

Hagakure: So if you can see me with Dark Vision, and I’m normally invisible….Does that make me “Invisionable”? – Yesterday

You: pfft….thats terrible. Also your new name. - yesterday

Hagakure: :p – yesterday

You: 119! Please, address. I’m nearby and need help! – 6:00

 

 

 

“Ok. So….” Aki coughed out. Midoriya stopped them for a moment. “What the heck…..is your quirk anyways?”

 

“That’s complicated.” Midoriya said. They were waiting in the dark shadows of an alley. Out of sight. “Once we get you some help, I’ll explain.”

 

“You need…. help as well…. kid.” Aki’s strained voice brought through his concern and Midoriya winced slightly when his hand grazed against his bad arm. “That bullet…wound is gonna….need treatment.”

 

“...Yeah.”

 

Bleep!

 

Midoriya looked at the notification. Directions from Hagakure and a message asking what was going on. He sent her an apology text, saying he’d explain when he arrived and asked her to be ready in case of a need of first aid.

 

“Come on, my friend sent me her address. Once we’re there we can get some actual pros and medics.” Midoriya said as he guided them towards the invisible girls house. In the back of the mind he knew he’s going to have to find a way to make this up to her.

 

While he remembered, he also texted All Might the address and told him to get there ASAP in his skinny form.

 

~~~~ 

 

Midoriya knocked on the wooden door as Aki leaned against him. The man looked like he was on the verge of passing out and Midoriya couldn’t blame him. He had only took one hit and he was still tired as hell from the altercation, he could only imagine what the father must be going through.

 

The door was suddenly yanked open at speed Midoriya didn’t think he could reach even employing One for All.

 

“Midori, are you-?! OH MY GOD!” The floating shirt and shorts suddenly backed up in surprise. “MOM, CALL AN AMUBLANCE!”

 

“What, why?!” A voice not to dissimilar from his invisible friends own rang out concerned. A floating sundress rounded the corner with a phone and suddenly raised higher in the area. ‘Did she actually jump?’ “OH MY!”

 

Immediately numbers were being dialed into the phone in what Midoriya presumed to be Hagakure’s mother’s hand and an ambulance was on its way. Hagakure helped Midoriya onto the couch with the man before running to get a towel and wrapping it around his arm. “Midori, what the hell?!”

 

“Long story….” Was all he could say, not wanting to recount it just yet. He pointed at Aki. “Don’t worry about me too much, he’s the one who really needs help.”

 

“Right…” The girl said and she seemed to consider something for a moment before invisible arms were suddenly wrapped around him tightly. “You were reckless again, weren’t you?”

 

“What can I say, it’s what I’m good at.” Midoriya joked as he hugged back with his good hand. Then a thought went through his head. “Oh yeah, from now on you’re not allowed to walk home alone. It’s too dangerous to pass the Abbey alone.”

 

“You…..You have a bullet in your arm, you look exhausted and you’re worried about me? Who wasn’t even there?” She asked, incredulous. The hug tightened. “Mido….You really are too pure for your own good, you know that?”

 

“I’m serious, they’re dangerous!” Midoriya exclaimed and the hug loosened.

 

“Wait….did they do this?!” The girl asked as if realizing the connection between his warning and his injury. The greenette just looked down. It was answer enough. “Those…..Ugh! I hated them enough! I already hated them and they do this?!”

 

“You….gotta good friend there….Midoriya.” Aki finally spoke up with a small smile. “Thank you….You didn’t need to do…..any of this…”

 

“You’re wrong.” Midoriya objected immediately and winced as the jolt from his sudden movement aggravated his wound. The adrenaline had finally worn off properly and he was really starting to feel the pain of the injury. “It would have been wrong to just leave you there. And besides, I couldn’t leave your daughter fatherless…I know what that’s like and I won’t let anyone else go through it if I can help it.”

 

“You’re a….good kid….” Aki said as he sat up and switched his gaze to Hagkure. “So….Translucent…..I suppose I should….introduce myself. Haruki Aki.”

 

“Toru Hagakure.” The girl answered back. “Are you sure you should be talking sir? That’s a lot of injuries you have…”

 

“I’ll be fine….After what he did…..would be pretty rude….to just die on him.” His coughing was worse but he was laughing.

 

Just a moment later, sirens could be heard and all three let out a sigh of relief.

 

Paramedics rushed in and immediately upon laying eyes on the two went to work. They had wanted them to both go to the hospital but the greenette was stubborn, refusing to move. After all he gave All Might Hagakure’s address, not a hospital’s.

 

Aki went into the ambulance straight away however with the greenette it was another story. It was an intense staring match but Midoriya eventually won out. Thanks to medical advancements in recent years, these kinds of wounds could be treated easily enough, they just preferred to bring you to a hospital still.

 

“Fine kid. Just get to a hospital as soon as possible ok?” The paramedic grumbled and Midoriya had to admit he did feel guilty that he was making the man’s job harder.

 

A knock at the door interrupted them all and Hagakure went to answer. Midoriya’s face lit up when he saw Toshinori on the other side, looking very worried.

 

“Mister Toshinori? What are you doing here?” Hagakure asked, clearly confused. Midoriya spoke up before the skinny man could.

 

“He’s my uncle. Its why he was at my bedside in the infirmary.” Midoriya explained and the blonde didn’t object. “We just didn’t want to tell anyone. Its why I was so insistent to stay, I know he was coming.”

 

“Oh, well then come in sir!” Hagakure immediately offered bowing and the blonde thanked her before rushing over to Midoriya.

 

“Young man are you ok? What was that text about and….why is your arm covered in dry blood?” The second the skinny blonde’s eyes laid upon the aftermath of the injury, he looked like he would pass out.

 

“Long story short, something needs to be done about the Abbey of the Everyman.” Midoriya said as slowly stood. “Well, our ‘mutual friend’ needs to do something at least.”

 

“Ok…” All Might said slowly. “And that man I saw outside?”

 

“His name…..” Midoriya’s eyes widened as he realized something important. “You have to make sure he’s looked after! He’s called Haruki Aki….He has a shadow manipulation quirk. They were…The abbey were…”

 

“Midoriya?” Hagakure questioned as the boy suddenly became a lot more panicked. “You ok?”

 

“Young man?”

 

“The abbey were…..They were torturing him….They were….They kidnapped and tortured him.” Midoriya looked right into his mentors eyes, pleading. “Please, you have to make sure they can’t get him again.”

 

“I will young man, I promise I will.” The blonde says immediately. “Now, I believe we should get you home. Inko will no doubt be wondering where you are now and this isn’t going to help matters.”

 

“Yes sir.” Midoriya says and he breathes for a moment. He hadn’t meant to suddenly panic like that but he had only just realized that the Abbey could just try to kidnap Aki again. He knew it was unlikely, that he’d be watched now but the thought had scared him. He looked at his invisible friend and gave her a soft but shaky smile. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s….it’s ok. Just be more careful, please…” The girl says, walking forward and wrapping in a hug again that he gladly returns. “At least limit you’re recklessness to class, eh?”

 

“I’ll try. No promised though.” Midoriya says and got a soft smack on his head for it. “Hey, trouble keeps finding me so…”

 

“Still….”

 

~~~~

 

The train ride back was quiet. All Might didn’t pry nor did he assume anything. He merely was there, holding the boys shoulder as a small act of support and Midoriya couldn’t be more thankful for it.

 

They arrived at the stop soon enough and as they walked Midoriya finally collected his thoughts. Now that no one but the two of them was listening. “So….You’re probably wondering why this all happened.”

 

“I can hardly NOT wonder why student has bullet wound and a sudden knowledge about an organization apparently committing some serious crimes.”

 

“That’s fair.” Midoriya scratches the back of his head with his good arm. His other arm wasn’t in a cast or anything but the Paramedic had still insisted not use it too much for the next two or three days then exercise it as much as possible. “Well….It started when Jirou, Hagakure and Asui joined me and my friends for lunch…”

 

And Midoriya explained everything, leaving no detail unturned. He explained Hagakure’s unease, his surprise when he found out about the things the Abbey talked about. The research he did later that night and the Outsider’s visit.

 

He explained how they acted when he arrived, the sickening things he read in the library, how incompetent all of them actually were now that he thought about it, what they did Aki. Everything he learned about Aki and how he had done everything in his power to save the man. How he had managed to fight off his PTSD and blocked the bullet that would have killed him. The text that came through the mans phone.

 

Then he stops and looks at the ground. The blonde is patient but he clearly has something to say as the story goes on. “And…..I snapped….”

 

“Midoriya?” His mentor asked confused.

 

“I should be upset, I attacked them without holding back. But for some reason I’m not. I was just so angry….i’m still angry that they would of hurt anyone, especially a child like that and it just….I….Does that make me a bad person?”

 

Two skinny but deceptively strong arms wrapped around him. Midoriya hugged back and he felt the pinprick of tears in his eyes. He couldn’t believe he held them in so long for once. “No. It’s understandable. I can’t say I’m happy that you risked it like that but I don’t blame you, i would be angry as well. You are right, it can’t be held against you as it was self-defense at that moment. Pretty clever loophole. Overall….I’m proud of you.”

 

“Really?” Midoriya asked surprised as he pulled back and he saw Yagi Toshinori give him a smile with more warmth than any smile he had ever seen from All Might.

 

“Of course. This is exactly why I choose you as my successor, you saved a life today and I couldn’t be more proud.” His teacher reassured. “You didn’t REALLY go looking for this fight or problem, it just happened upon you and you did the best you could. Now a little girl is going to be able to see her father again and it’s because of you.”

 

Midoriya barrelled into his mentor with another hug who nearly toppled over but was laughing all the while. “Thank you.”

 

“Seriously though kid, young Hagakure has a point. You really need to stop being so reckless.” All Might said as he rolled his eyes.

 

“Hypocrite.”

 

“…..Ok that’s fair.”


	21. The Outsiders lesson

To say Midoriya was nervous as All Might rapped his knuckles against the Midoriya apartment door was an understatement His mother knew he would be late home but had no idea why. She knew nothing of had occurred yet and she would likely get emotional.

 

The door opened and out stepped his mother, wearing a pink cardigan and blue skirt. Her eyes widened in confusion as they swept over her son and the skinny pro. Then they went over the boy’s bandaged but red arm. “IZUKU! What happened?!”

 

“Hello, Ms. Midoriya. Apologies for the unannounced house call.” All Might spoke as if he had been doing this for years. If it wasn’t for Midoriya wasn’t preparing to have to comfort his mother he’d be impressed, considering this was presumably the blonde’s first ever house call as a teacher. “I’m Yagi Toshinori, a staff member at U.A. High.”

 

“Oh my…” The woman said as she slowly traced her hand on her sons arm. “Please, come in, and call me Inko! I…Izuku. Are you ok?!”

 

“As good as can be, all things considered.” Midoriya said, giving her his best smile through the pain. Suddenly he was wrapped in her arms as Toshinori stepped into their house with her invitation.

 

“Ah, thank you for permitting me entrance.” All Might nodded as he wandered in and Izuku followed, placing a hand on his mother’s back, already seeing the fear in her eyes. Once they all reached the living room and the green haired woman offered the man a seat which he took, he spoke up again. “Your son…”

 

“What happened?” Inko asked with a quirked eyebrow and a nervous frown as she and her son sat on the other couch. Midoriya rubbed small circles into her back as she gripped tightly onto his leg. All Might’s face darkened as he looked away for a moment.

 

“I’m sure this is the last thing you wish to hear, especially after the scare at the USJ not to long ago…” Midoriya felt her body tense up and saw the wobble of her lips. She already could guess what was about to be said. Midoriya felt a pang of guilt when he saw her eyes start to water. “You’re son had a run in with a group of presumably villains.”

 

“W-what?! Izuku…you….” His mother turned to him and tried to speak, but she just choked on her words, unable to say what she want. Midoriya immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. “What….happened?”

 

“I’m…not to certain on the details myself. I’m afraid no pros were around to save your son.” The blonde continued, and stopped briefly at the noise of worry that it elicited from the elder Midoriya. “That injury on your sons arm…it’s a bullet wound.”

 

CRASH!

 

“Inko!”

 

“Ah! Mom!” Izuku shouted out in worry as the woman fainted, falling onto the floor for a moment. Izuku slowly picked his mother up with help from Toshinori.

 

“I’m…sorry. YOU WERE SHOT?!” Inko asked rounding on her son with fear predominant in her eyes. Izuku just looked down at the floor. “Why aren’t you at the hospital right now!?”

 

“You’re son was stubborn with the paramedics.” Toshinori informed while shaking his head. “Didn’t go with them because he called me and refused to leave until I showed up. I take the blame for that.”

 

“Izuku! You can’t just not get help with these kinds of things!” The green haired woman lightly smacked her sons leg, leveling a stern glare however clearly there was no heart behind it.

 

“Sorry…..”

 

“Um, Inko?” Toshinori interrupted and the woman looked over. “Not to interrupt you’re parenting but you should be informed of the whole story.”

 

And so, they spent the next 10 minutes explaining the details. Throughout it all Inko looked more and more ready to faint again. When they finished Midoriya had his mother clinging onto him tightly, both proud and absolutely terrified while Toshinori looked on, not sure what to say next.

 

“Um…Mr. Toshinori right?” The portly woman asked and when the blonde nodded she continued. “I know you’re probably busy but please, for bringing my son home safe, please let me make you some tea at least?”

 

The blonde seemed to be about to refuse, but then he looked up and froze for a moment. “…that sounds lovely, Inko. I would appreciate it a lot.”

 

“Excellent! Give me just a moment.” The green haired woman said as she got up and wandered towards the kitchen. Midoriya looked at his mentor with a quirked eyebrow and questioning gaze.

 

“Damn you Midoriya’s and your puppy dog eyes.” Was the only answer he got Midoriya chuckled lightly as he picked up the TV remote.

 

“Wonder if the news has picked up on this yet. Our escape route wasn’t really the definition of subtle.” Midoriya wondered aloud and the gaunt teacher made a noise of what Midoriya presumed to be similar curiosity.

 

The screen flickered to life and Midoriya switched the channel to the news. As he had suspected, a news reporter (a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes) was talking about a mysterious shadow ramp that had shown up in Hagakure’s area, connecting to the Abbey of the Everyman’s building in the area.

 

Midoriya only somewhat focused as his mind was on other matters such as the definitely impending visit with the outsider and how his friends would react when they found out what had happened. He heard something about how the ramp was presumed to be a villain’s quirk which he scoffed at. All Might seemed to focus on the report intently with a look of worry.

 

Inko walked through with a cup of tea that had steam rising from it. Just as the boy was about to tune out the report for good, the reporter said something that made his blood freeze.

 

“And now, a word about the incident from High Overseer Naozumi.”

 

“WHAT?!” Midoriya shouted out as he suddenly bolted up in seat, worrying both Inko and Toshinori.

  
“My boy, are you ok?! What was that about?” The blonde asked with a worried gaze. Midoriya didn’t focus on his mother or mentor, but on the TV as the leader of the overseers appeared.

 

“That’s the….he’s the one who ordered the other two to shoot and kill us.” He explained and even without seeing he could feel the sudden aura of rage coming from the two behind him. “I….he recovered way too fast….I didn’t hold back, he should be in their building recovering still….”

 

“Oh.” Was the only reply that came from either of the adults.

 

“ _So sir, mister Naozumi. This is the first time a member of the Abbey has willingly appeared in media as far as I’m aware. What do you have to say about all of this? And are you ok? That scar looks recent and_ doesn’t _look pleasant”_ The reporter asked and the man laughed. Right in the middle of his forehead was a diagonal scar that had clearly only just appeared recently. Midoriya had no doubt it had come from his attack. A bitter and still angry part of Midoriya couldn’t help the spiteful thought of ‘Good.’

 

“ _Ah yes, this ugly little mark. Not pretty too look at. However I’m sure It shall serve a good purpose from now on.”_ The bastard chuckled and something inside Midoriya flipped upside down at the way he spoke. When he had been inside the outpost, he had gotten the sense the group were all incompetent but now… _something_ was different about the leader. The smile the man wore was as charismatic as All Might’s but the greenette could sense something more, something worse behind it. “ _Both this scar and the incident to which this interview is about, they are related.”_

_“Oh, would you like to elaborate sir?”_

_“Ah, of course. But first, while It’s certainly not to my intention to use this generous opportunity you have given me to force the abbey’s beliefs upon anyone…”_ ‘Doubt that.’ “ _Its important to know, those who worship the dark and evil we do not tolerate. This of course means villains and the like, but we call them Heretics. All this sudden commotion, is the work of one such heretic…”_

Midoriya was on his feet in second, mark alight with blue burning energy. A heavy glare levelled at the television.

 

“Izuku…” His mum warned lightly.

 

“Sit down, young man. Do not let his words get to you. They are false and so should be ignored.” All Might added in a soothing tone and the boy took a calming breath. They were right. He nodded to show he understood and took his seat once more.

 

“ _...This heretic has the audacity to break into out sanctum, and wreak havoc. He helped free a criminal that was briefly trapped in our building, who we merely were holding onto for law enforcement until they arrived to arrest the law breaker.”_

_“And what law did this “criminal” break?”_

_“He committed theft.”_ Midoriya saw red. The bastard was lying through his teeth with a smile that was really starting to get on the greenette’s nerves. A small part in the back of his mind briefly wondered if this was how Bakugou always felt. “ _This of course is minor to all the crimes committed by the other heretic. The thief was a man named Haruki Aki, the public should know.”_

“….I should have thrown him off the top of the building.” Midoriya comments without remorse, causing both Inko and All Might to choke on their drinks.

 

“Now my boy, you don’t mean that.” All Might warned but Midoriya just looked at the ground.

 

“Maybe…Can’t say I feel guilty about it though.”

 

“That’s….I can understand that much I suppose.” Inko said, though she was really starting to worry about the mental state of her son with everything lately. As it would turn out, there had to be one more, major fuck you given to the green haired teen by the universe at least.

 

“ _While this man should be captured if possible, the real threat and who the public should be prepared to catch on the spot, if the police have any sense, is the heretic who aided a criminal, the heretic who attacked me and my fellow brothers in the abbey and who trespassed in our outpost. This scar on my face, it is proof the public should be afraid of and aim to imprison Izuku Midoriya as soon as possible.”_

“I take it back. I do mean it when I said I should have thrown him off the roof!” Midoriya snapped. It wasn’t like him to make threats like that when angry, but it also wasn’t like he was accused by a racist religious zealot of an innocent torturing asshole of being the one who was evil every day.

 

“Izuku…” His mom trailed off but the boy was too angry to say anything back, just raising to his feet and stomping off to his room without a word to the two adults. He could apologize later, right now he just wanted to scream.

 

Once his door slammed shut, he flung himself atop his bed, head butting his pillow and letting out his strongest scream of frustration.

 

“ **Yes, I do imagine this is probably quite frustrating.** ”

 

The greenette lifted his gaze, and not really surprising him at all, he was within the void. “I thought you would have waited until I fell asleep.”

 

“ **I considered.** ” The god replied lazily, looking out into the abyss of the void. **“I decided to just get it over with for you. I’m sure you would appreciate some real rest soon. You don’t get as much of it when your soul is whisked away into the void.”**

“Oh…..So THAT’S how I get here.” Midoriya muttered before launching up, vaguely registering that somehow his bed was here with him despite that supposed fact. “Wait souls are real?!”

 

“ **Is it really so surprising?”** The outsider asks, with the slightest hint of amusement. “ **But yes, souls do exist. And that’s what we need to discuss here and now. Souls, magic, echoes and the void. I suggest you prepare that brain of yours my dear Izuku. You are about to get the front row seat to a comprehensive explanation of how magic affects the world that no one else can get.”**

“Uh….ok….” Izuku nods as he swings his feet over the side of the bed. “So…They really don’t like you...”

 

 **“Yes. I believe you saw the page about Daud?”** The only answer the void deity got was the boy’s face darkening, as he turned his gaze to the ground. It was all the outsider needed as an answer. “ **To answer the questions you no doubt hold. Yes I did mark Daud. Yes he did kill many, many people. Some were even innocent. No I did not instigate or even encourage these actions. I didn’t discourage them either. I am a god, I have always been…neutral. My mark, the magic it grants, they are tools. Think of it like a knife I have given to two different people. One has attacked a wild animal to get his food, the other merely cut down some cornstalks. I gave both the same tool, it was their choice how they used it.”**

“So…You didn’t corrupt him?” Midoriya asked before his hands suddenly shot to his mouth, covering it. “I mean, uh, I’m not saying you were…”

 

“ **No. though I can’t fault how people may come to that conclusion. The abbey have been sullying my name for a long time, and I never bothered to fix that. I never gave people my powers because they asked nicely or because they were ‘worthy souls’, I gave my powers to people in bad places, who were suffering. I know what its like, to be stuck without hope and no way to escape. I never truly intervened from there, for the most part. Some thanked me, other ignored me and some turned against me.**

“So…he was just a bad apple….?” Midoriya asked. Suddenly a big chunk of what Midoriya had started mentally dubbing ‘Void rock’ floated by. Upon it was the statues from the last visit. Suddenly Midoriya realized the masked one was an overseer.

 

“ **I suppose it could be viewed that way, yes. These statues, they represent the…problems that have arisen recently through my actions.”**

“Problems?”

 

“ **I ran from the world, and took the void with me. Now I have placed in another world, a world that…wasn’t never meant to interact with the void. Put simply, actions have consequences, mine have resulted in serious ones. I have already said this much before, now it is time to elaborate.”**

The part of rock the overseer statue was upon suddenly disconnected and floated towards them.

 

“ **Let us start with the pests that are the Abbey, seeing as they were your most recent encounter. They shouldn’t exist here, though neither should any magic but that is beside the point. When I moved the void, there were certain elements of the real world that were…connected to the void. The Abbey was one such thing, due to their constant meddling and tampering. The void tried to make them fit in with the world, giving them normal names for the area’s they appeared in, re-wrote their personal history, their memories. None of it changes their hatred of magic though. I personally have chosen to dub situations like the Abbey ‘Void Echoes.’, echoes of the old world bleeding into the new. Of everything magic has wrought upon the world, they may be the LEAST worrying. They are cruel, violent and much like their old selves despite the new memories but they are now, for the most part, unthreatening. The old Abbey had so much political sway and such a large presence in society that they were nigh untouchable. They would use cosmological signs to figure out what children would be the best to become new overseers and kidnap them, if they didn’t meet their expectations, they would kill the children.”**

Midoriya felt like he would be sick, actually gagging over the side of void rock they were stood upon.

 

“ **I understand and agree, they are disgusting horrible people but please do not make a mess in my void. Now, they have no sway in this world and due to their short numbers and the amount of pro heroes around, they have to just accept whoever they can get, I suspect this is the only reason they even let you in. as you may have noticed, all these circumstances have led to them being quite incompetent for the most part.”**

Midoriya nodded, still trying to process what he had just heard before.

 

“ **Naozumi is not as incompetent as his fellow overseers, I warn you now.”** Somehow, despite the still bored tone, his voice had a sudden edge that unnerved the greenette. “ **You already have what has just happened, but even beyond that. He is smart, if not overly confident. He is not their leader for no reason. More worryingly, he has connections. He may not be the strongest threat, but he is not one to be ignored. Keep your wits about you, Izuku. Lest his machinations catch you.”**

The statue suddenly crumbled and cracked, and the statue of the demon floated towards them. Now that he saw it properly, he realized a curious fact. “Hey, wait,, why am I not freaking out? I…”

 

**“A little magic work from myself. I would prefer you take in what I have to say, not have a panic attack on the floor of my home. In case you have wondered at any point, his name used to be, at least as far as most people were aware, ‘Shin No Waru’, almost prophetic really. His actual name was Yuuto Chiba. He was no more than a lowly thug, robbing small stores in the dead of night. He was surprisingly good at not getting caught. Then one day, he was chased down by a pro. This was just a few weeks before I came to you, to bestow my mark upon you. He made it up on top of a roof and he refused to be imprisoned, even if he had to take drastic measures.”**

“He didn’t….He did didn’t he?” Midoriya asked, already seeing where this could be going. Though it raised a lot of questions.

 

“ **Yes, he jumped off the roof. It was twice the size of your own apartment building. The chances of survival were practically nil. Now, it wasn’t too long before this that I had first shown up in this world, the void had first shown up. Now you see… in the old world when someone would die, regardless of whether they were good or evil, they would end up in the void before eventually wandering into non-existence when they finally came to peace with their death. That’s….not how souls work in this world. Before the void showed up, they would split based upon their morality, and go to different other worldly planes. Planes that for the record, do not approve of my sudden appearance. Especially not the one that took the souls that were ‘evil’ because suddenly many for those evil souls suddenly were brought into the void.”**

“Woah woah woah, back up!” Midoriya stopped the god, shaking his head. “You can’t just drop the revelation on someone that.. what, heaven and hell exist?! And then just continue on!”

 

“ **I can, I just did. And I have no idea what they are called. Like I said, they refuse to converse with me or admit me any entrance.”**

“…..so the void became hell? Bad souls came here?”

 

**“Basically, yes. Now I have no idea what happens to souls in either of those places but I have come to learn, souls of this world do not simply cease to be like the ones of the old world. Your souls persist and this raises some….problems.”**

The statue of the demon, of Yuuto, did not crumble like the overseer before when Midoriya’s own statue floated forward and beside his, the two statues he had been unable to discern the features of floated beside his own. One was of a tall woman with swept black hair and brown eyes. A fancy looking silk scarf hung around her mouth, covering the lower portion of her face. Beside her was a statue of some random kid, who had blonde hair and knife’s seemingly sticking out of his arms. A quirk, or was he just stabbed?

 

“ **How magic works in this world….its not the same as the old world really. There are many variables that have changed and caused different results…This statue…”** The ever droning god walked up to the woman. “ **Her name is Empress Emily Jessamine Kadlwin. She was one of my old marked.** ”

 

Immediately upon hearing that, the greenette hopped out of his bed and walked up to get a closer look. Her left hand was covered in a wrap not to dissimilar from the one he had worn before.

 

“ **Nothing separated her from her subjects but circumstances to receive my mark. Anyone in the old world, so long as I decided to give it to them, could bear my mark.”**

“And it’s not like that here?” Midoriya guessed. The outsider trailed a hand atop the statue of the knife kid.

 

“ **No. Your souls are all more…colorful and unique. Not all of them react the same to magic. It….it corrupts them, kills them or just drives them insane.”** The outsider said as casually as if he was stating the weather, while the statue suddenly crumbled, along with the statue of the empress. “ **You’re one of the few cases not like this. In fact, not only are you one of the strongest souls capable of using unfiltered magic….you may be one of the very strongest from what I have sensed**.”

 

 **“** Wait seriously?” The boy asked surprised as he walked up to the god. Him, his soul, more powerful? An initially quirkless, weak kid?

 

“ **I do not know what makes a soul strong or weak yet, but I can sense the difference and so far you have been one of the stronger ones, even among the strong. You are definitely stronger than any soul to bear it before you. It why I decided to mark you of all people, I wonder how you’re unique position may affect it. For example, you were able to link four people together with your Domino power. Emily, who possessed the power before you had to work to that point.”**

Midoriya started off into the distance. How was he supposed to react to that?

 

“ **All your powers are…pre-existing in those who were marked before. I still let your soul naturally develop its own powers but I limited it to only what has come before, as my curiosity struck. What will be different? For another example, you have been practicing to achieve those tendrils when weakening Far Reach, correct?** ”

 

“Yes. It was…frustrating.”

 

“ **Well Emily, who also possessed the Far Reach power before you could not do that at all, no marked individual could truly ‘control’ their energy output. This is what has me so excited to see what comes from your mark. Enough deviating from the initial topic. The souls that appeared in the void, not only where a majority of them weak, none had the body to filter any of the natural magic of the void flowing into them. A demon is an evil soul, who has been corrupted by void magic and given a second magic form, a twisted power hungry form with an evil soul. They are immune to most non-magical methods of attack or even feeling. They are already dead, they just refuse to move on. Killing Yutoo was the best thing anyone could have done for him and those who knew him, it gave him the chance to move on properly. Demons… feed on acts of evil, as that’s how these new forms began. That’s why Yuuto was even at the USJ. Well one of the reasons.”**

“Why do I get the feeling I’m going to like the second even less than the first?” Midoriya asks deadpan. However a small part of him inside was elated, he really HADN’T murdered anyone. Or at least, he had only helped a soul leave which wasn’t really murder. A part of him though, it still churned at the memories, it didn’t seem painless.

 

**“Like I said, they are power hungry. Most evil creatures are, really. Of course, demons are already possibly the height of mortal power most can reach, so they would need to get back here, into the void to continue even further, to get more power. One way they may be able to get here….”**

“It’s my mark….” Midoriya finished and the god just nodded. “…crap.”

 

**“Indeed. I…there are some other things but you really should sleep. I’ll inform you of them, when you finally meet them. I have no doubt you will be fine even without information. Its hardly fun just telling you everything.”**

“Wait!” Midoriya didn’t WANT to leave without that information but clearly he had no choice.

 

“ **My last bit of advice for now, Izuku. You should really focus when you feel weak, otherwise you won’t get far. Also sometimes…you have to run before you can walk or even crawl, maybe apply that to your training and see what happens?”**

 

~~~~ 

 

Midoriya hadn’t been the happiest when he had returned from the void, once more smashing his head against his pillow. He was certain the Outsider was just enjoying messing with him by withholding information. That coupled with the earlier appearance of the high overseer on the news and Midoriya was really anything but happy at that point. He had left, to find All Might had gone home (but left a note apologizing for having to leave and saying he would do what he could.) His mom had made his favorite food and made sure he knew, angry or not, he wasn’t getting out of a hospital visit on Sunday at the latest.

 

The greenette, once had finally digested his food and thanked his mother, finally feeling a little better went to bed. Sadly his brain hadn’t agreed with the idea of a good night’s sleep. Nightmares plagued his mind. There was the usual, with Yuuto screaming as he exploded into smoke.

 

But now there was a new one invading his mind, everything that could of gone wrong when he visited the Abbey, everything that could still go wrong.

 

The dream that had truly left the most impact though. He hadn’t thought about the moment much due to having other things to focus on but now he didn’t and so his brain focused upon the moment his panic attack had almost gotten Aki killed.

 

He could see the bullet flying clearly, and his nightmares kept providing the same scenario: “What if you hadn’t been able to fight it off? What if you’re panic attack had been just a little worse? What would have happened?”

 

Ultimately, after the third dream ending with a bullet in Aki’s chest, Midoriya could no longer doze off. He merely laid there, the moment stuck on loop in his memories.

 

He had no idea how long he just replayed the moment in the mind, realizing how truly close it had been, how very near Aki came to death, to Midoriya leaving a little girl fatherless because he was as weak as Bakugou had always told him.

 

He picked up his phone, ignoring the ‘20+ new messages’, not prepared to deal with any of the drama the earlier news report would surely lead to. He just wanted to check the time, and saw it read 02:30 Am.

 

Groaning lightly, the greenette rose from his bed and wandered out into the living room, where to his surprise his mother was sat upon the couch, looking at the currently switched off TV.

 

“Mom?” He asked drowsily, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “Why are you awake?”

 

“Oh Izu…” The woman looked back upon hearing him and he felt a stab of guilt when he saw small tears in her eyes. “It’s…it’s not fair, why do you have to be punished for d-doing something good?!”

 

“I don’t know…” Was the quiet answer he gave, walking past her to the front door where he knew his bag was. After rummaging inside for a moment, he pulled out the page detective Tsukauchi had given him and clutched it tightly as he wandered back into the living room.

 

He sat down beside his mother and held it out. She took it with curiosity replacing the sadness in her eyes, though it quickly rushed back as she read the name above the phone number. “Izuku..what….?”

 

“PTSD.”

 

“Oh honey…” The portly woman accidentally crumpled the paper as her grip tightened before she pulled her son into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry…”

 

It wasn’t the first time someone had suggested he go to therapy, he had never liked the idea. He had planned to just throw the sheet away at some point. This wasn’t for him though, this was for the people who he couldn’t afford to have a panic attack while saving. He felt his eyes start to water. “T-thank you….”

 

Both Midoriya’s ultimately broke into a fit of tears on the couch, eventually crying themselves to sleep in each other’s grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 things to address, 1) Not everyone will prolly be happy about the changes to magic but if we're being completely honest the dishonored games were kind of lack luster on the magic explanations. I really can't see it not changing when forced into a world were things are different.
> 
> 2) This marks the end of the first truly original arc of this story. How did you feel about it? 
> 
> next chapter we will get into season 2 properly


	22. The Detectives visit

“Who is he? The guys already saved a hundred people at least and it hasn’t even been ten minutes!” A crackly voice exclaimed on Midoriya’s PC as the greenette sat cross legged staring at his screen. “This is, this is….”

 

“Crazy…” The marked boy finished quietly as he pressed the pause button. It had always been his favorite video, the debut of All Might. It had been the catalyst for the first time he realized he wanted to be a hero and since then it had always been a form of comfort whenever he felt bad.

 

When he was diagnosed as being powerless.

 

When he was beaten and bleeding, stumbling in from just another day with an angry Bakugou.

 

Even after the USJ, it had given him comfort.

 

Now though…He didn’t think anything could give him comfort. It was Saturday, and as such, any moment now detective Tsukauchi would show up to talk about the USJ, About Yutoo and the greenette planned to make sure about his side of the story with the Abbey, even if Tsukauchi wasn’t a detective on the case. It would be easier for him to do it all in one.

 

“Izuku! Dinners ready!”

 

“Be right there mom!”

 

~~~~

 

As the boy gulped down the last remnants of his food, his thoughts wandered to his friends. He hadn’t checked the group chat at all or sent anyone any texts yet. He didn’t have the energy to deal with a class of curious, worried teenagers.

 

Still he couldn’t just leave them all hanging until Monday, and with that thought he pulled out his phone, walking over to the seat beside the television. While he flipped through his contacts, his mom stood up to start taking the dishes to the kitchen.

 

Class 1-A Support – 19 Participants

 

Hagakure: Guys please…I told you, other than him showing up at my house I don’t know anything. – Yesterday

 

Ashido: u sure ya don’t know anything?! Come on, theres gotta be sumthing. He wouldn’t be bleeding for no reason!- Yesterday

 

Hagakure: I DON’T KNOW! Ask him! I refuse to believe any of that BS that Naozumi dick put out tho. – Yesterday

 

Iida: HAGAKURE! While I concur that I do not believe what the man has to say, that is very inappropriate language and I ask you refrain from speaking that way in this chat! And Ashido, please refrain from constantly bugging her, its clearly starting to get on her nerves! – Yesterday

 

Ashido: …Yeah ur right class rep….Sry Toru – Yesterday

 

Hagakure: it’s fine. I think we’re all worried, but only Mido knows the full story – Yesterday

 

Jirou: So basically all we can do is wait….Shit. - Yesterday

 

Iida: JIROU! Please cease such language! - Yesterday

 

Iida: … - Yesterday

 

Iida: But I do concur. - Yesterday

 

Unknown: AHHH, FUCKING DEKU! WHAT THE SHIT. THIS IS SO FUCKING IRRIATING, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON. I SWEAR IM GONNA ROAST THAT FUCKS FACE OFF WHEN HE SHOWS UP – Yesterday

 

Iida: ….I’m not even going to try to reprimand him - Yesterday

 

**_ 10 More Messages _ **

 

You: Sorry for taking so long to send this but I needed to mentally recharge before I talked with anyone. Also when did Kacchan join? – 5:00

 

Uraraka: DEKU! Not to long after the news report last night. Somehow Kirishima already had his number. – 5:02

 

Iida: Understandable, I assume such a report would have took its toll on you! 5:02

 

Kaminari: Dude whats going on?!  - 5:02

 

Bakugou: YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION YOU BASTARD! – 5:03

 

Kirishima: Guys, give him a chance to even type something! And before we find out what, how are you right now Midobro? That’s way more important! -5:04

 

Iida: Kirishima is right! Hagakure informed us of what occurred at her house, how is your arm?! -5:04

 

You: it’s about as good as can be. It was just the flesh it got stuck in so once the blood was stopped from spilling out and the wound was cleaned up there really wasn’t anything more  needing done. Its not paralyzed and…it hurts but when am I not in pain? – 5:06

 

Tsu: That’s…not really funny. – 5:07

 

 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

 

 

Midoriya looked up from his phone for a moment. A second later a masculine voice carried down the hall.

 

“Ah Ms. Midoriya, nice to meet you. I’m detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. I’m here to take your sons statement on the USJ incident. This here is my colleague detective Kaito Eto. He’s here on account of the Abbey case.”

 

“Oh! Come right in!”

 

You: … - 5:07

You: Yeah…Look, I want to tell you guys…but…not like this. I have to talk with a detective about the USJ so wouldn’t have the time anyways. Monday, homeroom, I’ll tell you the whole story. I promise, ok? – 5:08

 

 

 

Sighing, Midoriya set his phone on the table and stood up as Tsukauchi and a well-built, ginger man walked in. A moment later his mom stepped in behind them.

 

“Detective Tsukauchi.” The greenette greeted as he bowed. The other officer received a less steep bow. Whether he noticed or not, he didn’t let it show. “Eto, right?”

 

“Correct. I presume you heard why I am here then?” The man asked, face betraying no emotion. “About the…recent developments?”

 

“Yes, I did. If it’s all the same with you detective I’d like to tackle that incident first, with both of you here.” Midoriya asked with a quirked brow. For a moment the new detective looked about to object but Tsukauchi cut in before he could.

 

“That will be just fine. May we sit, ma’am?” The question was directed to his mother who gestured to the empty couch next to the boy with a smile. “Thank you.”

 

“Alright, so Midoriya, before anything else I should check, did you see the news broadcast last night?” The ginger officer asked and the boy nodded his head with a small scowl. Inko excused herself to her room, giving them privacy. “Well, you should know that Mr. Naozumi has been harshly reprimanded for his words. What he said could hold him accountable for slander if this investigation goes in your favor, so I really don’t recommend holding anything back.”

 

Midoriya’s gaze narrowed just a bit. He seemed decent enough on the outside but something about him was…off. The dull ache in his hand did nothing to dissuade the distrust slowly building, and he had a weird faint feeling of resent for a reason he didn’t understand.

 

“Well….what I presume you already know is that there’s three important people in this story. Including myself, there’s also Haruki Aki and Naozumi. As for my side, I don’t deny I did walk into the overseer outpost, I did ultimately end up going into a room I was told not to and I did use my quirk multiple times.”

 

Both men shared a look at that. Midoriya knew it didn’t make him look that good but it was the truth. After all it was the little details that changed the big picture, he just needed to elaborate.

 

“I walked into the overseer outpost because I heard about them from my friend and she mentioned they kept talking about magic and things like that. Sounds insane but one of the villains I met at the USJ…My curiosity was piqued, as well as my concern. So I went to investigate…”

 

He told them as much as he could, the conversation that he overheard that had sent him searching, the room he had found that had housed Aki’s bruised and battered body as they tortured, the weapons they had all carried. The moment Midoriya had fought back in self-defense.

 

“Well…that’s quite a different story from what the abbey has been telling.” Eto remarked as he looked over the notes. “We were aware of the weapons, an investigation was launched as soon as that gigantic shadow ramp was reported. As you may know when quirks first appeared many, _many_ , laws had to be changed to accommodate the new world and the divide between the super powered and the quirkless.”

 

Midoriya nodded. It was how he knew he was safe fighting back against Naozumi.

 

“Well, one of the laws that changed here in japan was weapon licensing laws. The public were more than a little threatened, and people ended up demanding it be easier for people to get licenses to possess weapons. It’s started to be reversed in recent years but it’s slow going and they’re still easier to obtain than they used to be. As far as we’ve seen, every member of the organization is fully within their rights to own them.” The man informed and Midoriya just clicked his tongue against his teeth. He couldn’t say he was surprised. “Actually discharging them in a public place is another matter but with so many legal owners of firearms in one place, we can’t find out who actually discharged their weapon and who didn’t. From what has been investigated we couldn’t find any bullets nor can we find out how fresh any bullet holes in the building are.”

 

“So basically, you know someone fired at some point but without knowing who or when it means nothing with this case?” Midoriya asked and Tsukauchi hung his head slightly. “Great.”

 

“As it is, pretty much the case is looking to be a “He said, she said” situation so far. The most that can be done if no evidence can be found on either side is giving Naozumi a slap on the wrist for saying what he did on television and just keep a close watch on all parties.” Tsukauchi filled in for Eto, who shot the man a look over it. Midoriya’s face contorted to one of confusion. “Of course, no one knew to be looking for anything suspicious in the outpost so now we know what we’re looking for that probably won’t be a problem. Now, if you wouldn’t mind I’d like to discuss the USJ now.”

 

Midoriya nodded. “Ok. But I’d prefer to do this one on one please if you wouldn’t mind? It’s personal in some places…”

 

Well, it wasn’t a _complete_ lie. Eto opened his mouth but Tsukauchi spoke up in his place. “Of course. My colleague will go wait in the car. Right Eto?”

 

“….Right….”

 

The detective walked out the door after being seen out by Midoriya. Once the door was closed, Midoriya turned with a scowl. Once he was back in the room he dropped his voice as far as possible while still being audible.

 

“I don’t trust him.” He said simply and Tsukauchi quirked a brow but said nothing against it. “Sorry, I know that’s kind of rude but something about him just sets me on edge. I do trust you, I mean you’re a friend of All Might’s, but him….Is it just me or does he seem a little too much like he’s trying to seem as though he’s on my side?”

 

“I…understand your concerns. Standard conduct is to seem as unbiased possible, and usually when bias does show through it comes out positively for the person who reports it, not for the reported.” Tsukauchi was similarly quiet. “There’s more than that, which has lead me to the conclusion he has a…personal stake in this case. There’s quite a few things I need to discuss with you. Not all of them am I technically allowed to tell a civilian but….Seeing as you are Toshinori’s student and as these are matters concerning you I’ll bend the rules this one time only. Of course, we need to be quiet. he might be listening through the door.”

 

“Of course he is. I’d ask if this is really the future I have to look forward to as a pro hero but I know it’s not.” Midoriya lamented. He gave a questioning look to the detective, as he weighed up just what to say. “Look, I’m warning you now, this conversation is going to drop some bombshells on you. If you don’t want to believe them that’s fine but if you….know about his quirk, you should know about mine.”

 

“Well, that’s certainly an interesting direction this is going. Of course, if most of these things tie into the USJ then allow me to say this about the abbey case first.” The detectives face was one of concern and distrust. “Eto was to insistent on getting this case. It was originally going to one of our other detectives but apparently because of a paperwork issue, she had to give it up. The second she mentioned the abbey was involved Eto jumped at it. He refuses to tell me why and then there was earlier. He just told you how the investigation was actually going, which we normally wouldn’t do. He clearly wants you to feel safe about it. Normally, I’d say the same, even if we find no evidence of what you said, when we find nothing supporting Naozumi’s story either then ultimately at best he is going to look pretty bad at the end of this. At worst he’s going to jail, it doesn’t make sense why he would do this.”

 

“That’s what worries me.” Midoriya admitted. The outsider’s words stuck in his head. The outsider had certainly kept things from him but so far he’d never lied, so if he said to be cautious with Naozumi then Midoriya was definitely going to heed his advice. “There’s a missing piece, otherwise this is the most petty momentary revenge plot. Sure he got to me at the time, but now it just seems stupid. Oh, and _when_ you find evidence? I though you said you were unbiased?”

 

A small smirk went past the detectives face. “I said standard protocol was to act unbiased. Even without your… position, I like to think of myself as a good judge of character and you do not strike me as any kind of villain. So, before we jump into the USJ, just a quick review. If we want to bust the abbey, and prove that you’re trespassing was justified, then there’s two pieces we need on top of your statement to prove them the villains and make it actually count as credible evidence. DNA evidence linking mister Aki to whoever hurt him, to prove the abbey were the perpetrators.”

 

“Well, they were willing to torture an innocent civilian on a hunch they might know something about magic so…I don’t know how willing they are to protect their own but they defiantly wouldn’t have let the guy stay near them I don’t think. Their outfits though…nearly everything is covered in them so I don’t know how much… like spit or hair could get out.” Midoriya grumbled as he finally realized that fact. However he immediately lightened up again as another thought came to mind. “They might have cleaned out the library but if you could find any of the books I read in there, you’d have proof that they’d at least potentially have it in mind.”

 

“Maybe…but on its own they would be too circumstantial. All they prove is that at one time they did, or at least claim to have tortured people in the past. While certainly not something anyone would feel ok about, I can’t walk up to someone from Rome and arrest them because the bible says romans nailed Jesus to a cross.” The black haired man shook his head with a frown. “Still, with the rest of the evidence it could be a pretty harsh hit against them. I’ll see if I can’t a role in the case as well to track some down.”

 

“So that just leaves the room again? I mean that pretty much trumps anything they have right?” Midoriya asked. The amount of blood over that place would surely be enough to prove something went down.

 

“Yes, so long as we find that room they will be in a bad place. If the blood matches to Aki’s, then there’s no way they can spin that into looking good for them. Even if they clean it down, there’s no way they can really hide that much blood if you weren’t exaggerating.” Tsukauchi grinned slightly. “So it was on the third floor right? Then all we have to do is find it. I’m surpised it hasn’t been called in already, but it was a pretty big building from what I heard so I guess it’s possible they just haven’t been near it yet. I’ll keep an eye on Eto as well, if anything else comes up I’ll make sure it doesn’t affect the case.”

 

“You don’t think they’re banking on us realizing do you?” Midoriya asked as his nerves got the better of him. “I mean, I just have a bad feeling but yeah said he was being pretty obvious. The guys at the abbey weren’t the brightest but….”

 

“Don’t worry too much about it.” Tsukauchi said, though his tone betrayed his concern. “Even if it isn’t simple incompetence, they couldn’t have expected me to be coming with him at the same time. Let me handle it. So, we have delayed long enough. The USJ incident still needs to be discussed, and nothing comes from us not focusing on the issue.”

 

“Right. Well, I’m sure Asui and All Might filled you in on most of the major details. Neither of them were delirious or anything from any quirk or that as far as I know so their accounts should be accurate. The real story from me….”

 

Midoriya’s breath hitched slightly. He looked up with a sad smile.

 

“I know it’s going to come up a lot with the abbey and that but they aren’t quite _as_ crazy as everyone thinks. Tell me, do you believe in magic?”

 

~~~~ 

 

“Well, thank you for this…enlightening time.” Tsukauchi thanked as he hovered by the door. His face remained blank, having not shifted since Midoriya had asked the question. He took a moment to look out the peephole in the door and gave the boy a thumbs up. Eto wasn’t listening in.

 

“You’re welcome. Again, I get it if you don’t believe any of this, but All Might will back me up.” Midoriya said as he leaned against the wall. “Oh, and by the way, I made an appointment with that therapy office.”

 

“Oh, good. No offense but…..yeah, you probably need it.” Tsukauchi said as he frowned. Midoriya couldn’t help his sad smile.

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

“Oh, and before I forget, Toshinori….he wanted me to tell you something. We argued over it, it could be seen as a leak but considering our earlier conversation…” The man quieted down as he said that. “Shigaraki, the leader of the league….He is obviously insane, as you yourself witnessed.”

 

“Heh, insane is a nice way of putting it.” Midoriya shook his head. It was weird to think the actual main villain attack was something he was nonchalant about. It was either that or panic attacks though and with the demon, yeah he preferred just down joking about the other events. “That can’t be a leak though, anyone with eyes or ears could tell you that he isn’t stable.”

 

“Exactly, he isn’t stable… and we aren’t sure we can find him.” The detective said and Midoriya looked up with a quirked brow. The older man sighed. “We can’t find any files on anyone even remotely like him or the warp villain. He viewed Nomu like a pet, and you were the one who kept fighting them, not to mention prevented them from killing All Might. He is liable to hold a grudge, so if you see him, it’s advised you stay as far away as possible.”

 

‘Oh, well great.’

 

“Thank you for telling me. I hope everything goes well on your end.” Midoriya said as the man walked out the door. Tsukauchi turned before the door was closed and bowed.

  
“Same to you. Stay safe, Midoriya.”

 

And with that, the door was closed and it was over. Midoriya let out a breath of relief, it was officially out of his hands and he could relax. Walking back to the couch and picking up his phone, he checked the time.

 

‘06:21 PM’

 

Humming, the boy picked up the T.V. remote and flicked through the channels. A news report went by, though they were mostly just rehashing the same article on the USJ ten other channels had already done a few days too late. What came up next though did catch his attention.

 

“ _And now an update on what is being referred to as the Abbey Incident. Not much new information has come to light, however public opinion has certainly made it clear that while no one is particularly sure on what to think of the supposed suspects, everyone seems to have no sympathy for the abbey. Many have actually complained about the organizations behavior and are commending the fact that someone may have broken into their building.”_

Well, it was a good start, and it would get better. Midoriya smiled, satisfied he had nothing to worry about.

 

Now if only he could explain why his hand was aching more than before…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a joke book! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bk1JIaNa-vQwhtc6SfaMvgcX--7VSrtd8Z3IG6ad9v4/edit?usp=sharing


	23. Whats next?

Midoriya took a deep breath as he looked at the weirdly intimidating oak door before him. He had come alone, despite his mother’s insistence she would be happy to come with him.

 

‘Get over it, Izuku! Do this for Aki!’

 

With that final thought, he knocked twice on the door. A moment later it was opened, to reveal a tall black haired woman with blue eyes in a fairly formal outfit. Upon seeing him she smiled kindly.

 

“Ah, you must be Midoriya. Please, come in.” She said as she gestured inside and the boy bowed slightly in thanks as he walked in. “I’m Kaya Tanuma, but please, feel free to just call me Kaya.”

 

“Um…are you sure? I don’t want to be rude!” The boy said as wondered over to the seating area inside the office, which consisted of a bookshelf, a red couch and a similarly colored chair as well as a small kitchenette with a first aid kit.

 

“Oh I hardly mind, but if you would prefer to call me ‘Miss Tanuma’ or some nickname go ahead, after all, we want you to feel comfortable here!” The therapist said as she sat on the chair, gesturing for the greenette to take a seat.

  
“Comfortable? Won’t that just dissipate anyway when you start asking the questions you want to ask?” Midoriya questioned with a quirked brow as he sat in the middle of the couch, idly fiddling with a loose thread on the cushion next to him.

“Oh goodness.” The woman laughed lightly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Something about her smile really helped calm the teen’s nerves. “You hardly need answer anything I ask, if I even ask anything at all Midoriya. I understand you are here for a reason but we don’t need to get to that right away, if you want to take your time then that’s your choice. Think of me as a friend you can talk to about anything you need to. I’m here to be listening ear as well you know.”

 

“Oh…well I guess that makes the idea of visiting a little easier to swallow.” Midoriya muttered as he looked around. “So what are we going to do now then? If we aren’t talking about that stuff right away?”

 

“Well, simply talk. For example, how your school life aside from the incidents have been or what home life is like.” She explained as she reclined in her seat.  “So, what _you_ like to start talking about?”

 

“….Maybe just how school is for now?”

 

 ~~~~

 

It was time.

 

Monday morning.

 

That was all Midoriya could think as he boarded the train to school. It was as crowded as ever and he ultimately had to stand, squashed between a few other people.

 

He had been to see the doctor last night, and they had given him the all clear like he had suspected. He did get chewed out multiple times though for not immediately coming to them. A part of him prayed Recovery Girl never found out.

 

As he scrolled past recent news upon his phone, his face seemed to move on its own. Despite the good news on his screen that multiple criminals had been caught that day, his face contorted into a scowl.

 

Running a hand over his features for a moment in confusion, he forced his expression back into a neutral one. However despite that the sudden and unexplained annoyance stayed.

 

It only took a few moments to pass but once it did it was replaced by a similarly random and unexpected feeling of joy, which soon also passed. Once or twice parts of his body would even flare up in pain for some reason, confusing him even more.

 

The mood swings didn’t just end in the train either.

 

~~~~

 

‘All Might.’

 

All Might: Izuku my boy! Please come to the principal’s office ASAP when you come to school today, it’s important. – 06:15

 

 

Midoriya looked down at the text with a quirked eyebrow before placing it back in his pocket as he made his way to said room. It didn’t take long to get there and he still had plenty of time before class, having risen early that day.

 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

 

“Come in!” The unmistakable high pitched voice of the school’s principal came through and Midoriya obeyed. Inside the room beside the principal was All Might in his skinny form and to the boy’s surprise, Aizawa, wrapped head to toe in bandages.

 

“Mister Aizawa? Shouldn’t you still be in hospital?” The boy asked as he cocked his head to the side in wonderment. The recovering pro made to say something but Nezu beat him to it.

 

“Yes, but my two employees here share just as much stubbornness as one another. I couldn’t keep him restrained to a hospital if I threatened to dock his pay.” The creature said with a light shake of his head. A light groan escaped the black haired man. “Now as for you mister Midoriya, I’m sure you are wondering why you were called here. There is multiple reasons, first, if you would All Might?”

 

“Right. Kid, with all this crazy stuff that’s happened lately, not to mention the fact there was multiple direct threats against you, some decisions have got to be made.” The blonde said and Midoriya tensed. Was he being kicked out?!

 

As if sensing the boy’s discomfort (though more likely just seeing how his eyes dilated), Aizawa slapped the blonde as hard as he could through his wrappings. Realizing his folly the number one pro began to shake his hands as he rushed to correct himself. “Nothing like being expelled or that! You’re making these decisions actually.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Aizawa, sitting back down in his seat took over for the blonde and the greenette had to admit it was nice to hear his bored droning voice after how long he’d spent in hospital. “Firstly, there is the matter of your safety. We also have to discuss this with your mother but we all agreed this seemed like the best idea. If you and your mother agree to it, U.A. will start sending a carpool to collect you from your house and bring you to U.A., as well as this we will get a constant patrol of pro’s set up around your house in case anyone tries anything when you go home.”

 

“That….that would be really good actually. But I don’t want to intrude on anyone’s time or anything!” Midoriya worried as he looked up, to see the other three into eh room all giving him the same amused look as if they foresaw that complaint.

 

“It’s our job, my boy, hardly an issue!” The pro said with a thumbs up. “There’s also another matter, which is why Aizawa is here.”

 

“Yes, the sports festival.”  The scruffy pro said with his bored drone. “What with this whole USJ we’re already under pressure not to allow the sports festival to take place. We still plan to hold it but then this whole abbey situation came along…”

 

“Oh….so you want me to withdraw?” Midoriya asked, trying not to look hurt and his homeroom teacher hit his face with his palm as hard as could without hurting himself.

 

“No, MIdoriya. But if you choose to then you can. You were easily the most affected coming out of the USJ and this matter doesn’t do any favors to that fact, so we wanted to offer you the chance to stay out of it if you wanted to recover. Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing you are still taking part?”

 

“…Yes sir! It’s still important for the future regardless of what’s happened!” Midoriya said, knowing how the festival worked. “And….I feel like I’d be letting the people like the abbey win if I just backed out.”

 

“Alright then.” Aizawa said as he looked towards Nezu, though his gaze became one of disapproval. “Nezu will tell you what you need to next. _His_ restrictions.”

 

‘Restrictions? Whatever they are Aizawa seems against it.’

 

“Of course. Mister Midoriya, your power is unique, very unique but alas, this is still an official competition with rules and regulations. We must ensure it is fair where we can, as there Is already many massive disadvantages one can have in this event. So, if you wish to participate, this is what will happen. In the tournament, there is always three rounds. You will be able to switch between rounds, but during them? You’ll be restricted to one power. Choose wisely!”

 

“Oh….well that seems fair, I guess.” Midoriya said as he looked between them. Then he realized something. “But wait, every sports festival ends on a one on one tournament of some kind….”

 

“Yes of course, in the tournament you can switch between matches, but you will still be restricted during said match, is this alright with you?” Nezu asked and Midoriya nodded.

 

"Great.” Aizawa said, standing up and walking towards the door. As he passed the greenette, he said one last thing. “What you did in the USJ was reckless and were it a training exercise, I might of expelled you for it. But you did protect the class when I no longer could so….thanks….”

 

~~~~

 

Midoriya took a deep breath as he looked up at the gigantic door. Once it was open he knew he would be subjected to a bombardment of questions and concerns and all manner of other things so he was preparing himself.

 

Everyone was present, he knew from a quick check with his dark vision. Walking up he placed his hand on the handle and pulled the door open and braced.

 

“-Eku probably got more screen time than any of us for the USJ incident.” He heard Uraraka’s voice say as he walked in, drawing everyone’s attention as they stared wide eyed. Scratching the back of his head he said the first thing he could think of.

 

“Think of the devil and he shall appear?” he laughed nervously as he said it and a second later the room was treated to a cacophony of metal screeching against the floor as everyone stood up to greet him. He clutched his head light as he was suddenly overloaded with concern for some reason he didn’t understand but no one seemed to notice.

 

“DUDE! Your back! We’ve all been worried about you.” Kirishima said as he made his way over. An angry noise of protest came from Bakugou’s seat, the only one who hadn’t stood up. Though Todoroki seemed to only have done it to be polite and nothing else. “Well almost all, Bakugou has been…..himself.”

 

“I’m glad you’re ok!” Iida said as he stomped over, placing a hand on his friends shoulder. “You’re recovering well from your injuries?”

 

“Yeah, doing a lot better.” Midoriya said with a shaky smile and fortunately some of the random overwhelming concern seemed to drop. “Sorry if I gave any of you a fright. Especially you Hagakure.”

 

“A fright? You showed up with a bullet wound and someone on the verge of becoming a corpse, a fright is underplaying it!” The girl exclaimed before bounding up to him and surprising him with a hug which caused him to blush bright red. “But I’m glad you’re ok, so I forgive you.”

 

“So….come on! We’re all dying to know what happened!” Mina shouted out as she hopped in place. “Hagakure has been so insistent that Nao-whatever guy was lying! And no one here really believes you’re a criminal so what’s going on?!”

 

“Well…It’s a long story…you might want take your seats again.”

 

And so, while he omitted details like the outsiders visit and his strong attachment to magic because of his mark, he explained about what happened to an extent in the USJ, that he was attacked personally. When he managed to get the concerned questions subsided to that, he explained how it plus the Abbey’s appearance and obsession with such things lead him to their outpost to see if he could get any answers.

 

“That explains why you were there at least…” Hagakure muttered and Yaoyorouzu then shot her hand up as if realizing something.

 

“Wait does that mean you really did use your quirk?” She asked surprised and Midoriya nodded.

 

“Yes, and I did actually attack someone with it. No, I don’t feel guilty, for good reason. Let me tell you about the other ‘criminal’ they mentioned, Haruki Aki.”

 

It didn’t take long for everyone in the room to feel disgusted and angry as the boy’s own feeling returned about the situation. He didn’t bother to spare any detail, including his own near death experience which prompted a lot of concern among them all.

 

No one said anything against his moment of rage, though to the greenette’s surprised, when he looked to the back for the briefest moment, something almost akin to respect seemed to pass his childhood friends face.

 

“And that’s all that happened. Hagakure can tell you, Aki was not in a good state when we showed up.” Midoriya shook his head and then his eyes flashed in realization as he looked up. “Oh and anyone with any kind of mutation quirk should be really carful walking past them. Someone with a quirk like that, if they could, they’d try to kill on the spot.”

 

Silence. Disgusted, angry silence.

 

The boy made his way back to his seat and the class all stayed quiet. No one knew how to respond to the story, fortunately they didn’t need to figure it out yet as a moment later the door slid open and in walked the living mummy that was Shota Aizawa right now.

 

Most of the class reacted in surprise while Midoriya just smirked already knowing he was back.

 

“I’m glad you’re ok, mister Aizawa sir!” Iida exclaimed as the man hobbled towards his desk.

 

“You call that ok?” Uraraka questioned and Midoriya shook his head when the teacher brushed off their concerns, before his face contorted into a scowl. For some reason though, his body felt numb now and he had no idea why ‘AND ALL THESE RANDOM FEELIINGS ARE REALLY STARTING TO GET ON MY NERVES, AHH!’

 

“All that’s relevant is what you will be facing next.” Aizawa said as he looked out towards them all, quirking an eyebrow as Midoriya fidgeted in his seat. “The Sports festival.”

 

Excited murmuring started around that and Midoriya only have followed the conversation, already knowing how the sports festival worked. ‘We perform well, pro’s scout us out, we have an opportunity for an internship.’

 

Were this another day, perhaps he’d have played more attention but he had a lot to think about without considering the festival. As his thoughts twist and turned, considering the abbey and demons, what else could be out there and how his powers were evolving, he realized something.

****

**_‘Sometimes you need to run before you can walk.’_ **

 

“Remember, if you want to do well, train hard.” Aizawa said, pulling the greenette back to reality. “Class is dismissed.”

 

~~~~ 

 

“I’m so nervous! Standing out is going to be really hard when I’m invisible.” Hagakure complained as she and Jirou joined Midoriya, Iida and Uraraka on their way to the cafeteria.

 

“Yeah, I suppose it would be a challenge.” Midoriya agreed, honestly forgetting that his friend was unable to be seen by most people. Perking up he turned to face the girls as he realized something. “Oh, by the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. Why do you all want to become heroes? I know Iida wants to be like his family and his brother, but what about the rest of you?”

 

“Well….Mine is a little selfish really.” Hagakure muttered as she crossed her arms. “When I was a kid, I always ended up being forgotten. Hard to remember someone you can’t even see. Most people avoided me, maybe not on purpose but they always did and I hate it. I guess I just always wanted to be noticed, and if I can help people in the process? That’s a major bonus. Sorry, it’s stupid….”

 

“Oh, no! Not at all, I actually think it’s really awesome you’re taking such a pro-active measure to deal with it!” Midoriya exclaimed and the rest of his friends nodded along. “I don’t think there’s really that many _bad_ reasons to be a hero anyways, for me it’s always been my dream, I just want to help others, but it’s still a job and treating it as such is still perfectly valid as well!”

 

“Wow Deku….that makes me a little more comfortable about sharing mine now.” Uraraka admitted as she scratched the back of her head. “Hoenstly…I’m in it mainly for the money.”

 

“Really?!” Jirou asked surprise and the girl seemed to look guilty about it.

 

“My family aren’t well off at all…Ever since I was a kid I knew….my parents business is constantly on the verge of being shut down and all of us left without a job. I want to be a hero because I don’t want my family to keep struggling like they have been.”

 

“Oh I see, and being a pro hero would surely bring in a lot of business for anyone related to that hero if they became popular!” idea exclaimed in understanding. “Well I for one think that’s quite the noble endeavor. Providing for one’s self and one’s family is the most basic thing anyone looking for a job truly cares about anyways. You want to help your family! That is truly admirable!”

 

“Thanks Iida. So what about you Jirou? What do you want to be a hero for?” Uraraka asked, looking better now as she turned to the purple haired girl. Before the teen could answer though a booming voice interrupted them.

 

“HA HA HA HA! YOUNG MIDORIYA, IS HERE!”

 

They all turned to see the massive hulking blonde that was All Might leaning out from around the corner with his signature smile. “All Might? What’re you doing here?”

 

“Lunch!” The man exclaimed as if it explained evrything, before showing a plastic bag he had in his hands. “Want to eat with me?”

 

"That’s adorable!” Uraraka exclaimed as Midoriya looked between the man and his friends in surprise. They smirked and shooed him off so he took after his mentor as they walked to teachers lounge.

 

“Sure….” ‘Does he need something? Surely he would have said during the visit to the principal’s office. Well unless it was to do with One for All I guess….’

 

~~~~ 

 

“40 minutes?! Your time limit was effected that badly?” Midoriya asked in surprise as he looked at the skinny form of his mentor, who was preparing some tea.

 

"Yeah, that badly. I really overdid it when I thought you had been hurt.” The blonde admitted and an odd warm feeling spread throughout the boy despite the subject matter. “Nomu is one hell of a customer. That’s not why I brought you here though.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“It’s the spots festival I wanted to talk about.” The pro said as he took a sip of his drink.            “What’s your plan? I’d presume you’re sticking to one of your ‘magic’ powers, seeing as you’re still not able to control one for all.”

 

“Yeah…Probably Far Reach, it’s my best power and…probably the only one other than One for All that I can use consistently. Domino and Dark Vision can only do so much…” Midoriya admitted as he looked down at his hand.

 

“Understandable.” All Might said as he stood up, walking towards the window that overlooked the city. “To be frank, it’s a blessing you have so many abilities to use. My time as the symbol of peace is quickly running out.”

 

“No way…” Midoriya said as he shot up out of his seat.

 

“The coverage around you so far has been problematic, but the sports festival is your opportunity to change that. I will be gone soon, and I gave you One for All for one reason.”

 

Midoriya could feel a cold sweat ruin down his neck as his mentor seemed to get caught up in his speech, not realizing how intense his tone was.

 

“Do you still want to be my successor, even after all this young Midoriya?”

 

“Of course, my dreams still the same! No matter what!”

 

“Then it’s time to take another step towards it! To smash any negative pre-conceptions of you away! You must step into this festival, and announce proudly to the world, to those who you will soon protect, and those who you will defeat, even to those like the Abbey and these demons apparently after you, let them know you aren’t afraid.”

 

Steam poured from his body as the blonde got more muscular, his voice becoming deeper and his expression even more intense.

 

“Let them all know young Midoriya, tell them proudly ‘I AM HERE!’”

 

The USJ demon flitted by, then Shigaraki and Kurogiri, Nomu and Naozumi and the overseers.

 

Green eyes met glowing blue ones, a determined gaze shared between them. Energy roared from inside and Midoriya felt his hand flare in pain as the mark glowed brighter than it ever had before.

 

“I….Am here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Just something about the beginning was weirdly hard to write. But now we are officially onto season 2 for good, lets get ready for that sports fest!


	24. New Powers

  
Midoriya yawned as he finished writing down some notes in his notebook when the bell rang to signify the end of the school day. Once the boy had left his mentor the odd mood swings had finally started to die down, with one or two odd exceptions.

For some reason after he had returned to his friends Hagakure and Jirou seemed to be staring at him more than he was pretty sure was normal but he hadn't gotten the chance to ask why.

He pulled up his bag and started putting his stuff away, preparing to ask when yet another unexplainable feeling, one of curiosity and boredom, spread throughout him.

“Ahh, why are you all here?!” He heard Uraraka call out in surprise, and when he looked up he saw surprised to see a massive crowd had gathered outside their class. Bakugou growled as he made his way past while Iida went up to address the situation.

“Do you all some sort of business with us? We do need these exits to be usable.” Iida said, tone and expression neutral. Bakugou took a decidedly different approach.

“Move it. They're just a bunch of losers trying to gauge the competition.” He said as he stalked towards the group, glaring harshly. The rest of 1-A could only groan in response to the blonde's hostilities. Midoriya felt his own annoyance increase as the blond continued. “Move it extra's. Now you know what the only student with what it takes to be a pro looks like, you can fucking scram.”

“Pro jackass material maybe.” Midoriya spoke up before he could stop himself and the entire class turned to look at him like he was crazy. Considering what he had just said, he would probably do the same. ‘Why the hell did I say that?! Oh god i'm dead now.’

“THE FUCK DID YOU SAY DEKU?!” The blonde screeched as he set off an explosion in his hand, making the greenette flinch hard. Enough that nobody missed it and quickly moves between the two. “IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YO-"

Boredom, amusement, disgust, anger. Those feelings kept cycling through the marked boy when a newcomer came.

“THIS is class 1-A?!” A bored voice, not to dissimilar from their home room teachers spoke up and they turned to see a boy who even resembled Aizawa in looks, with purple poofy hair, looking at them all unimpressed. “I was told you were impressive, and yet I’m just seeing some squabbling children with inflated ego's. I'll make this quick.”

He looked around the room before scratching the back of his head smiling, it proved to be very unsettling. “I wanted to be in the hero course, and so did a lot of the people you see right now. Of course, for one reason or another, we didn't make it.”

“Boo-fucking-hoo.” Muttered Bakugou and the anger Midoriya felt spiked a lot, too much.

“You really are an ass. I may not have cut it the first time around, but I have another chance. If anyone from a different department makes it far enough in the sports festival, they can transfer us into the hero course.” The boy's grin then became just a little bit more malicious. “And too make room, they'll need to transfer people out. I'll let you stew on that.”

As he said that, the purple haired boy turned and left and the others made way for him to pass. Midoriya and his classmates looked between each other confused while Bakugou just started stalking forward again.

“Any of you other losers got some stupid speech or are you going to get the hell out of my way now?” He asked, setting off a small spark. The crowd quickly made way but all glared at him. Midoriya sighed, ready to leave himself when it happened.

His eyes set on the crowd properly and nothing but overwhelming anger and annoyance swirled within, so much anger that it hurt. He clutched his head with one hand as he leaned against the wall, not noticing the attention it gathered.

Anger, so much anger and annoyance and….

“AHHHHH-"

Blackness.

~~~~

  
Midoriya’s vision was blurry as he slowly opened his eyes. He closed them again and gave them a moment to focus, before he looked around once more and realized he was in what had become his home away from home, the infirmary. Both Ectoplasm and the nurse were present, looking over some notes.

“Apologies. I should of seen the signs. Empathy. It's empathy.”

‘Huh? Outsider? What the…’

“Ah good, you're awake.” He heard the annoyed tone of the elderly nurse and he couldn't help the tiniest grin on his face at what she said next. “Honestly, should just reserve one of these beds for you at this rate.”

“What happened?” The teen asked, his last memory being of the purple haired boy's weird confrontation.

“You passed out in class. Screaming.” Recovery girl said as if it was the most common thing in the world. “Honestly you may of scared your classmates more in a few seconds than they were through the entire USJ incident considered how panicked those girls were when they brought you here.”

“Girls?” He asked, confused. ‘Uraraka?’

“Hagakure and Yaoyorozu I believe. The invisible girl was especially concerned, we had to practically force her out.” The woman explained before she pointed at Ectoplasm. “As for what happened, we were hoping you could tell us. He thinks it might be power related but other than that, we are completely in the dark.”

“Hm…” The boy scratched tge back of his marked hand as he tried to remember what happened. But all he could recall was emotion. “I don't really remember what physically happened, but I was….so angry. Like a scary amount of anger and….it's like it wasn't mine…..wait….Empathy….”

It hit the boy what the outsiders random message had meant. Groaning he placed his hand on his head and massaged it.

“Interesting….” Ectoplasm murmured as he placed a hand to his chin in thought. “And have there been any other moments of this?”

“Actually….yeah. On the train here today and in class…and….oh god It must of started in the abbey building.” Midoriya felt sick as he realized the pain that had shot through his shoulder back then was Harkuki's pain. “What….what now?”

“Well, it would be best if you avoid large crowds of people until we figure this out but….” His trainer looked up with a sigh. “You may have to withdraw from the sports festival.”

“….” Midoriya just remained silent, unsure how to respond.

“By the way, before the Yaoyorozu girl left, she made something for you. It's at your bedside.” Recovery girl mentioned as she wrote down some notes. Turning to the end table beside him he was surprised to see a stress ball with a little note beside.

‘Midoriya

Hope you are ok. Sorry so much has happened to you.

\- Yaoyorozu’

He couldn't help but smile a little at that, picking up the ball and rolling it in his hands. “So what now?”

“Well, for now you recover. If you're fine then we'll send you home tor now and tomorrow at lunch we'll do the usual: Emergency training session.” Ectoplasm explained as Midoriya squeezed the ball, nodding in understanding. “Don't be completely discouraged though, if we can find a way to control it you can take part.”

Midoriya just sighed as he laid back in the bed.

~~~~

  
Midoriya ultimately got to go home at seven, and when he returned been fretted over by his mother who had heard the news. To his surprise there had been no visit from the outsider when he had drifted to sleep, instead just waking up the next day from a dreamless sleep.

He got ready fast enough and made his way out the door after more fussing from his mom. The train ride to school wasn't all that different from the day before, just he now knew why he was having odd feelings.

It was weird, a part of him felt like he was breaching people’s privacy which made the whole thing even more weird.

Once he finally arrived at class, things got even more odd. He walked in and the rest of the class all looked up to see him, though they did it oddly slow, as if trying not to spook him. He could feel both happiness and concern, which he supposed was fair all things considered.

Sitting down, he heard some quiet mutterings welcoming him back but everyone seemed surprisingly subdued. Even Aizawa had taken on a tiny bit of a softer approach to the boy, which meant a lot coming from the man. ‘Guess they know about my new power.”

The greenette set his head down and got to work but he had no idea what was going on, the only one who still acted normally was Bakugou and really that was anything but a blessing.

Break finally rolled around and everyone moved about to talk to each other, his usual group of friends coming over to him. He almost groaned when they were all obviously being carful as if he was made of glass.

“So are you feeling better, Deku?” Uraraka asked while obviously trying to suppress some emotion and Midoriya just sighed.

“Please stop that. I'm fine Urachan, and i'm not going to shatter if you just be yourself.” He said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “It took like a hundred people all feeling the same emotion, i'll be fine. You guys don't need to suppress yourselves or anything.”

“Are you sure? We don't want to do anything that might negatively effect your new abilities.” Iida said though clearly he had loosened up a little as had the others.

“I'm sure. I'll be fine ok, honestly acting different will probably just stress me out.” The boy said before his eyes lit up, remembering something. “Excuse me a moment.”

He made his way to the back where Yaoyorozu sat alone, reading over something in one of her textbooks. “Hey, Yaoyorozu?”

“Hm?” The black haired girl looked up, and was surprised when she saw the greenette before her. “oh, yes Midoriya? Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, i'm fine. I just wanted to say thanks.” The boy explained as he pulled out the stress ball and her eyes lit up in recognition as a small smile passed by her face.

“You're welcome, but I felt like you needed something after everything that’s happened. Its not much.” She said as she tried to wave it away, but Midoriya gave her his best smile regardless.

“Still, I appreciate it.” He said before turning going back to his friends. Now he just had to see what lunch would hold.

~~~~

  
“So how exactly are we training with this power? It's not exactly physical…” Midoriya asked as he looked at the three Ectoplasm clones before him in gym Beta.

“Well, we still need to understand the fundamentals. First, what are these clones feeling?” Ectoplasm asked from behind him, where he was observing.

“Well, two of them are happy and one is annoyed. How do you even make them have different feelings anyways?”

“Practice, lots of it.” The teacher explained. “Now can you pinpoint who exactly is feeling what emotion?”

The greenette focused on the feelings of happiness and felt a pull teo the two clones on the outside, and when he focused on the feeling of annoyance he felt a pull to the one in the middle. “Middle is annoyed, the others are happy.”

“Correct.” The teacher confirmed and, after the boy closed his eyes, created a new set of clones. “Keep your eyes closed. They are beside you, can you still feel emotion?”

“Yeah, they're all happy.” The boy said and he heard a nlise of confirmation and the scuffling of feet.

“They are now as far away as can be, do you feel anything?”

“No.”

“Open your eyes.” The boy complied and looked off to see the clones incredibly far away, though one was closer than the others.

“Can you feel anything if you look at them?”

“Well, the closest guy is annoyed but the others….they're too far away.” Midoriya explained and Ectoplasm hummed in surprise.

“That mean there is a range limit, and that seeing them can help increase that range but only so far. So you're only in trouble if you are actually next to a massive crowd.” Ectoplasm explained as he wandered into sight and Midoriya sighed.

“Like I would be at the sports festival.”

“I presume you have already tried turning it off?” Ectoplasm questioned and the greenette nodded.

“As far as I can tell, it doesn't turn off.”

“ **Your right, it doesn't.** ” A cold, familiar voice said and Midoriya shot his head up in surprise. He wasn't in the void he didn't think but the world was frozen and a see through visage of the outsider stood leaning against a wall. “ **A more tiring form of visiting the world, even for a god. Better saved for short visits like this. I will be gone In a moment but I felt I should explain your second set of powers and how they differ from the first.** ”

“Second? Wait are you saying i'm getting more soon?” Midoriya asked with a quirked eyebrow and the outsider almost seemed to chuckle.

“ **You were always getting more. That is not what I mean when I refer to you having two different sets of powers. You have always had two, a set of ‘active' powers and a set of ‘passive powers'** " The deity said as he stood up straight. “ **Your Far Reach, Dark Vision and Domino all follow the same basic rule: You can summon them at any time simply by tapping into your magic. If a power is like that, it's an active power.** ”

“Wait…then what's my passive set? My natural enhancements?” Midoriya questioned and the black-eyed god nodded.

“ **If they are either constantly active like your strength, speed, agility etcetera, then it is a passive power. Also, if it requires a certain set of conditions to be met before it can be used, it is also considered a passive power. This is a dark example but related to your empathy. Do you remember Daud?** ”

The boy looked down at his feet and that was seemingly all the answer he needed.

“ **As he was a killer for hire, one of his special passive powers granted him the ability to turn those he killed to ash as they died.** ” He explained and Midoriya shivered. “ **Of course, someone like you would have no use for such a power, so it ended up being replaced. This is the very first power no marked before you has possessed, empathy is truly your power alone.** ”

“Well….That's….really, really cool honestly.” Midoriya said with a small smile that quickly disappeared. “But if I can't turn it off, how do I deal with crowds or that?!”

“ **Easy. You deal with them.** ” The outsider said and the boy just cocked his head confused. “ **Just because you cannot turn it off, does not mean it can't be suppressed. As for how, i'm afraid you'll just have to practice hard.** “

And with that, the god disappeared in a cloud of smoke and the world returned to motion.

“If it doesn't turn off then this really is problematic.” Ectoplasm remarked, none the wiser. Midoriya shooke his head and turned to the man.

“Maybe if we just keep putting me through my paces….maybe I could work up a tolerance to it?” The greenette suggested and the teacher seemed to hesitate. “Please sir? If I can work up a tolerance, that will help me for a lot more than just the sports festival.”

“…Ok, but if I think its getting to be too much I will end the session. Is there anything else before we continue?” The cloning pro asked and the marked teen remembered the outsiders words, what he had wanted to talk to the man before him yesterday for.

“A friend told me something that got me thinking, he said 'Sometimes you have to run before you can walk’. If I can weaken Far Rach to change…do you think it's possible to go in the other direction and supercharge it?” He asked and the pro considered it, seemingly surprised by the suggestion.

“Well, I doubt it would hurt to try. I would assume it would be more difficult than brining down the power though.” The man remarked and Midoriya smirked. ‘Well magic makes no sense so maybe we'll be fine.’ “Turn around and close your eyes.”

Doing as he was told, the boy got ready. A moment later he was allowed to open them to see an ectoplasm clone in front of him.

“And, go!”

He focused on the raging fire of his magic as he summoned Far Reach and did his best to stoke that fire and turn it into a raging inferno as the power shot out.

Both student and teacher were caught by surprise when the manifested tentacle twisted and contorted, going rigid. The top sharpened into a fine point and where a strong tendril would once be, a sharp lance now took its place in the greenette's hand.

A small smirk passed his face as he ran a hand over it, Ectoplasm looking on with a worried but proud smile. “Now _this_ is a good new power.. “


	25. Let the sports festival begin!

It had been a week since Midoriya had started training, both for supressing his new empathic powers as well as to prepare for the sports festival.

The suppression training had been going decently though there were still some kinks. Ectoplasm had a limit to the amount of clones he could make, and they had reached the point where the greenette could stand up to the flood of both erratic and focused emotions from all 36 clones at once, though he still ended up with a horrible headache that felt as if Bakugou had actively reached into the boys head and exploded his brain from either side. If he could build up a tolerance and have the pain come down to a more manageable level soon then that was the best he could hope for to still participate in the sports festival.

Their training on the Far Reach front was much more erratic. Ectoplasm had agreed to help get accustomed to his new form of Far Reach for the other students safety, and tried his best to help the marked boy with his weaker variant (which was still a pain to get working. He could at least hold it for a few seconds before it dissipated completely but it was still a hassle and nothing useable yet.)

Once the marked boy could use those powers safely he'd get no more guidance from the maths teacher until the sports festival was over, due to it being ‘cheating’ according to Ectoplasm.

Midoriya had just finished yet another frustrating session of trying to summon the weakened version of his tendrils and failing, for the better part of an hour. Having no success, no matter how much he focused on the power he was putting into it, didn't do great for his confidence in himself.

As he stepped out of the gym, he came face to face with another source of frustration he had been confronting recently.

“Heya Deku!” Came Uraraka's cheery voice and he looked up to see his group of friends waiting to walk home with him. He still felt guilty that they were wasting time they could have been using training on him but they had insisted on it.

As he looked among them, his empathy flaired up as it seemed to always do whenever his eyes scanned over Hagakure as a large amount of worry bombared him. He had been concerned the first time it happened but when he had tried to confront her, she had simply avoided the questions he asked.

To a lesser extent it was also a similar scenario with Jirou, though she at least didn't deny she was freaked out, apparently both about the sports festival and the revelation that there were people who wanted to hurt the greenette, which he couldn't fault her for.

They weren't the only confusing emotional jigsaws either. Ever since he had properly developed his new power he had noticed every day he would pick up on more and more bouts of unexplained anger. At first he had thought it was Bakugou, who the marked teen did everything in his power to avoid channeling for his own sake, but was eventually proven wrong when Bakugou stayed home one day and the anger persisted.

After some ‘rigorous testing’ (aka, just trying to not get caught intently stating at everyone), he eventually realized that it was the ever stoic Todoroki. While the greenette's intrest was peaked, he knew trying to outright talk to the boy would be perhaps even more pointless than asking Bakugou about his emotions.

Other than that though, Midoriya’s new power hadn't been too bad, even if it was weird. As long as he didn't channel Mineta at any point that would hopefully remain the same.

The group of friends talked among themselves, Iida and Hagakure discussing some school subject the invisible girl was struggling with while Jirou and Midoriya discussed a game series they both enjoyed, Uraraka occasionally adding a few comments but mostly focusing on something on her phone.

“So how's your training with our horror monster of a math teacher coming along?” Jirou asked out of nowhere, and the greenette pondered the question for a moment, not noticing the others leaning in to hear his answer.

“Well, it's going well enough. I'm a little worried, the empathy training was going a bit slowly because he doesn't want to overload me like in class but it might of made getting ready for the sports festival harder overall.”

“Well that sucks.” Hagakure commented and the marked teen nodded. He understood the man's reasoning, he just hated the situation. “Is there any other training you're doing? Me and Jirou have been using the school gym a lot to prepare. Uraraka's trying to get her weight limit up and i'm sure Iida's got some nerdy technical ‘vroom-vroom’ plan.”

The group could only stare at the girl after her very Hagakure-like phrasing, Iida especially annoyed. Midoriya just shook his head with a small smile. ‘Only Hagakure….and maybe Ashido.’

“Well, I’ve been keeping up my normal exercise routine that i've been on since I started getting prepped for the enterance exam. Its not much but everything counts, especially with what one hundred percent does to me.” The boy explained and others grimaced, remembering the multiple occasions were the marked teen had destroyed his limbs. His eyes shined a little brighter as he remembered something else. “Oh yeah, and my mom found a bunch of old sports festival tapes we've recorded as I grew up. I never missed it and always wanted to watch them back to write down all the different quirks I saw in action. No two sports festivals are ever the same but some events do repeat in different ways, so I was gonna study the actual events to see if I could get anything out of them.”

“That sounds like fun! It's a shame we can't join you.” Uraraka said with a sad smile. They stopped as they all reached the train station and waited for a train to arrive.

“For the record, I was going to fine-tune my gears to be able to reach higher top speeds and perhaps some kind of turbo.” Iida pouted quietly, making the group giggle.

* * *

 

  
The train ride home had been surprisingly quiet despite the whole group being together, all content to occasional small talk and focusing on their thoughts. Soon Uraraka and Iida had gotten off and it was just Jirou, Hagakure and Midoriya.

It didn't take long to reach the boy's stop, and all three disboarded, causing the greenette to sigh. Ever since he had returned the two girls always walked him home, every time. It was sweet at first but he knew it cost them more money and it cost him more stress as he was forced to focus on their worry.

They soon reached the park Midoriya visited as a child, which is where they always split up. Hugs were shared (though in Jirou's case, while acting like she hated it) and they split paths.

The teen quickly ran up his apartment buildings stairwell, excited to rewatch some of the old festivals. It didn't take long for him to reach his front door but before he could walk in…

Worry. Overwhelming worry.

Midoriya stopped for a moment as the unexpected feeling washed over him and he grimaced. Was his mother having a panic attack. ‘I better make sure she-‘

“oh shoot.” A quiet voice whispered and the greenette heard a few steps off to his left. He couldn't help his groan, recognizing the voice and he turned to face a headless shirt peeping around the corner. “Uh…hi?”

“This is almost stalkerish.” Midoriya said unimpressed, crossing his arms against his chest as the girl stepped out into the opening. “And that's coming from _me_! …I don't know who comes out worse from that sentence.”

“Sorry…it's just….” The girl trailed off before huffing as she seemingly was rubbing her arm nervously, standing in front of the marked teen who's features softened.

“You're worried. I can literally feel it all the time, and I'm sorry for getting annoyed about it, it's completely normal that you're freaked out. Hell, I think i'm the least worried and i'm still terrified. It's just, I want you and Jirou, who i'm assuming is just down the stairs…”

The purple haired teen quickly came out into the open, face flushed red with a look of guilt.

“…I want you both to be happy and doing what ever you actually want to do, not wasting time on me. I appreciate the concern, really I do but I can handle myself.” The greenette said and pulled the invisible girl into a hug while gesturing the purple haired girl to come over as well. As he held Hagakure he felt something wet fall onto his arms. “A-are you crying? Oh no, please don't! I'm sorry-!”

“No it’s not your fault it's….it's just….everything has been so scary, and the-the stress has been piling up since the USJ and w-we got off easy…” The girls grip tightened around him and Jirou, slowly and reluctantly joined the embrace. “You've had it w-worse and it's….it sucks, it's not fair!”

“Y-yeah….it really does.” Midoriya admitted as he felt small tears begin to form in his own eyes. “But….it's over for now….you’re safe, i'm…relatively safe. We're all safe.”

“Oh dammit…” He heard Jirou whisper quietly and just let a small smile form when he saw the slight shine of tears beginning to appear in her eyes. He didn't call her out on it. “You sorks are way too emotional.”

“But you love us for it.” Hagakure teased as she leaned to the side into the girl, loosening her grip on the marked boy. The mutant girl just rolled her eyes slightly.

“….Yeah….a little….”

“Do you two want to hurry home or….I’d you want I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind if you came in for a little bit.” Midoriya offered as he finally separated from the girls embrace. The two teens looked between each other, debating silently.

“Well, if you're sure, my mom will understand if I shoot her a quick text first.” Hagakure said as she pulled out her phone. Jirou did the same.

“Yeah, my mom will be cool with it. My dad will freak but he's not the one in charge.” Jirou said with a small smile which Midoriya returned.

The trio turned and walked into the boy's house, a strong scent of ramen in the air and the bustling of someone in the kitchen. “Mom? I'm home! I have some friends with me.”

“Friends? Oh give me a second!” A loud clattering was heard and a moment later the plump form of the green haired woman appeared from the kitchen, kitchen utensil in hand. She was wearing a large apron over her outfit and had a large smile upon her face. “Nice to meet you! I'm Izuku's mother, but you all can just call me Inko! It's been….a long while since Midoriya has ever brought any friends back. I never thought it would be girls as well!”

The last part was said with a slightly teasing tone which caused the boy to go red as his friends just laughed at his expense. “Ugh…mom!”

“Oh come on now, you can hardly blame me. I never get to tease you in front of anyone anymore. Now, girls, the living room is just down this hall. Those two rooms on your right are me and Izuku's room and the one on your left is the bathroom. Don't be afraid to ask if you need anything! I always make more food then the two of us alone can eat anyways so don't be shy.” Inko explained to them with a blindingly bright smile and a true sincerity that the boy hadn't seen from her since he had gotten onto U.A. ‘Wow. Maybe I should invite Iida and Uraraka at some point as well then.’

“Oh mom? Random question but do we still have all our old sports festival tapes?” Midoriya asked and the one blinked in surprise before quickly turning and moving into the living room.

“Hang on a moment…and….here!” The portly mother announced as she pulled a box out from storage, some video tapes inside. “I knew how much you loved these so I never throw them out. This should be every one since you were four.”

“Wow that’s a lot.” Jirou muttered with eyes widened in surprise. “Also, tapes?”

“Our TV is pretty old.” Midoriya shrugged.

Soon, the trio were sat around a table, the sports festival from the previous year playing while they ate some of the ramen Inko had been preparing and making jokes, just enjoying each others company.

About half an hour later, they were onto the third tape where second years were navigating an Obstacle course. The greenette had just finished his drink when a part of the video caught his eye.

‘Oh…that’ll be useful to know….’

* * *

 

  
The rest of the week passed by in what seemed like not time at all. The empathy training had reached its natural end and Midoriya had been given his chance. He was going to just have to walk into the festival and hope his training had been enough.

Students chatted as they walked around the stadium while Midoriya made his way to the changing room, doing his best to avoid thinking about the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Outside the stadium, stalss were set up and people were crawling all around. The boy fortunately had managed to avoid the crowd as the enterance for students was at the back but he could still catch the occasional feelings of excitement or frustration from the crowd.

His footsteps echoed as he opened up the waiting room for 1-A and took a seat beside Iida, who seemed to be reading a book to pass the time.

“Nervous?” The blue haired teen inquired as he looked up to face the marked boy, who just nodded. “Can't say I blame you. I'm quite worried as well, knowing my brother will be watching. I have to make him proud!”

“I h-hope you do.” Midoriya said with a shaky smile, trying not to focus on the crowd he'd be walking out towards soon. ‘On the bright side, at least i'm not facing down any demons or overseers.’

“It's a shame we have to wear these outfits, I was excited to show off my costume.” Mina pouted as she picked at the offending clothing.

“Well at least it will keep it fair!” Ojiro reasoned as he did some stretches. They pondered among themselves what they thought the challenges might be when Midoriya noticed an odd feeling of sadness wash over him. ‘Huh, what the-'

BANG!

The door crashed open and Uraraka stumbled in, clearly in a rush. “The first events starting soon, we're being asked to all go the field!”

At the news the class all made to get up and Midoriya frowned as the feeling of sadness got stronger and mixed in with anger and doubt. It was a new yet disturbingly familiar sensation as he felt his breath start to hitch.

“Midoriya.” A cold, stoic voice said and the greenette turned in surprise, coming face to face with Todoroki. ‘Oh crap these are his, what's going on?! Did I do something wrong, did I say something that upset him-‘ “I'm not a fool. From an objective standpoint, you're more powerful than me.”

“Huh? Wait, Todoroki-“

Breathing was getting harder, his vision was starting to blur yet the others seemed not to notice as the fire and ice user‘s emotions crashed like violent waves in the greenette's mind. The staring of their classmates didn't help and Midoriya’s fist clenched tightly. ‘I was able to deal with 30 people before! Why are his so overwhelming now?!’

“But I am stronger than you, clearly. Even with someone godlike in your corner.”

Midoriya's eyes widened and he could hear his heart drumming violently in his ears. ‘Does he know about the outsider?!’

“I won't pry about you and All Might's personal buisness but know this, I will beat you-Midoriya?!” Todoroki's intense speech was interrupted as the greenette suddenly clutched his chest, grabbing a chair for support as his breathing got more erratic. Iida quickly came to his friends side as Hagakure walked up the them, somehow moving in an angry manner.

“Way to go icey! Now he's having a panic attack.” She berated as Iida did his best to run the teen through some breathing excerises. Kirishima rose from his seat to try to mediate the situation.

“Ok guys, come on now we're all friends here, let's not go picking fights-"

“No…it's fine….” Midoriya interrupted as he looked up to the teen, his own eyes reflecting the swirling tidal pool of emotions that the stoic teen was feeling. “Let's just…get to the field.”

“Are you sure-"

“I'm fine, Iida.” The greenette reassured and Todoroki turned, walking away.

“Apologies. However my point stands.”

And with that, Todoroki left for the field, the others following along, confused. Midoriya trailed behind in the back, just one thought swirling around in his head.

‘What’s Todoroki going through?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have said before i don't really intend to include shipping and that hasn't really changed but after showing this chapter to a friend we got onto a conversation and now i want to ask you guys:
> 
> Who do you ship marked deku with? (If any of you say Yutoo you have issues)


	26. Round one: The Obstacle Course

“HEY HEY HEY! WHAT’S UP SPORTS FANS?!” The booming voice of Present Mic asked from his commentary box up somewhere in the stands, causing Midoriya to flinch as 1-A waited to walk out onto the field. “ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THIS?!”

 

Even from there place behind a closed metal door inside the stands they could hear the wild cheers in response to the pro’s question.

 

“ALRIGHT! I HOPE YOU GOT YA CAMERA’S READY BECAUSE WE’RE GOIN' TO HAVE SOME OF THE HOTTEST SPORTS FESTIVAL PERFOMANCES EVER, GUARENTEED!” The blonde announced and Midoriya gulped, as he felt a cold sweat on the back of his neck while both excitement and nervousness ran through him from his classmates. ‘No pressure, huh?’ “Now I only got one thing to ask…..ARE YOU READY?!”

 

Even more cheering sounded.

 

“ALRIGHT THEN!! THEY’VE BEEN MAKING WAVES IN THE MEDIA ALREADY, ESPECIALLY  ONE OF THEM, LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR CLASS 1-A!”

 

The door swung open, seemingly automatically the group started to make their way outside. Midoriya felt the heat in his face and the cold drips of water from his forehead. His throat was dry and his hands were shaky and his marked hand hurt. This was the moment, if he could get past this he could compete in the sports festival. He took a deep breath as he walked forward. ‘Don’t let All Might down, you are strong enough to do this!’

 

The sun glared into his pupils and he had to shield his eyes but one they adjusted he looked around to see what must have been easily over a hundred people watching. ‘They’re all too far away to channel, thankfully.’

 

_“Let them all know young Midoriya, tell them proudly ‘I AM HERE!’”_

“I won’t let you down.” Midoriya whispered under his breath as he walked to the centre of the field with his class. His nervousness didn’t subside any even with knowing he was safe from his powers in regard to the crowd. “Outsider… there’s so many….”

 

“Hm, outsider? Isn’t that what the abbey were constantly talking about?” Iida inquired with a quirked brow. “And yes, it is quite a crowd. I suppose that’s just one more aspect a hero has to get used to, being watched all the time.”

 

“I get why Aizawa prefers night work.” Midoriya said as he shook his head. “And y-yeah…The outsider is what the abbey keep taking about. I uh….just started using him as a substitute for god to spite them.”

  
  
“Slightly petty but I suppose it’s better than what some might do.” Iida nodded as the group all stopped at the wooden stand in the centre of the field. As they walked, Present Mic introduced more classes.

 

“1-B ALSO OF THE HERO COURSE!”

 

“1-C THROUGH E!”

 

“SUPPORT CLASSES F, G AND H!”

 

“AND FINALLY BUSINESS CLASSES I, J AND K!”

 

Midoriya took a risk, turning to face the incoming masses and his face paled at the sheer amount of students. ‘Ok, empathy, please don’t go off the- OW OW OW, FRICKING HEADACHE, OW!!’

 

He held his head yet couldn’t help but grin. He didn’t pass out. ‘Just got to- ow- get through- fri-hick- this start then I can distract myself.’

 

His face then flushed red and he felt… odd…’What the-‘

 

“Time for this year’s introductory speech!” A familiar feminine voice announced and the greenette turned to see Midnight giving the announcement. ‘Oh god no….’

 

Hundreds of hormonal teenagers and a teacher who literally thrived on being provocative and perverted. This would be hell for the new empath, he was certain.

 

‘Ahhhhh, ok focus on quirks, list off quirks. Ashido Acid, Tokoyami Dark Shadow-Oh god no-‘

 

“This is super embarrassing and you owe me.” A voice hissed at Midoriya and he looked to see Uraraka in front of him, covering him up from sight.

 

“Urachan?”

 

“Nope, no talking about it! Empath and teenagers, easy to guess. Now never talk of it again.” She hissed quickly while hiding her obviously embarrassed face.

 

“SILENCE!” Midnight commanded and the students and Spectators all focused up. “First, for the student pledge, we have….”

 

_Katsuki BakugouIzuku MidoriyaKatsuki BakugouIzuku MidoriyaKA T SU KI BAKUGOU I ZUK U M I DO RI Y A_

“Katsuki bakugou!” The woman announced as Midoriya’s breath hitched. ‘What the hell was that?!’

 

The rest of class 1-A looked on in shock as the blonde made his way to the stage.

 

“Bakugou’s the rep?” Questioned Mina in surprise.

 

“I guess that hothead did finish first in the Entrance Exam.” Sero said, only for a general course student to groan

 

“Only for the hero course.”

 

“Oh…sorry.”

 

“That girl obviously hates us.”

 

Midoriya tried his best not to freak out. ‘No seriously what the hell was that? Should I go see Ectoplasm? But I can’t just drop out now-‘

 

“I just want to say…” Bakugou started his speech and Midoriya sighed, quickly focusing on his once friend. It was at least a distraction, however it ultimately didn’t help as the teen seemed to be staring right at the greenette and no one else with a harsh glare. “I’m going to win.”

 

With that he turned to leave the stage, quickly getting boo’s and jeers from the crowd. The marked boy massaged his forehead. ‘Well, at least he didn’t swear at anyone.’

 

“WHY WOULD YOU BE THAT DISRESPECTFUL? YOU’RE REPRESENTING US ALL!”

 

“Not my fault you’re just stepping stones for the real hero here.” Bakugou dismissed as he walked off the stage. He barraged past the group and barrelled into the greenette’s shoulders to knock him out the way.

 

“That overconfident dick! I swear i'm gonna knock him down a peg!’

 

In that moment, every other emotion was thrown away as only one very briefly overwhelming emotion took hold: Worry.

 

‘He’s…..not overconfident. I guess that was his way of saying he will be pushing himself….and turning us all into targets simultaneously. Especially me.’ Midoriya thought, though there was no way even he could be sure. Trying to guess Bakugou’s true thought process would make winning the lottery seem like the easiest task in the world.

 

“Alright then, after that….well it was definitely a speech.” Midnight said, seemingly caught off-guard. “Anyways, moving on! It’s time for us to get started!”

 

Midoriya took a calming breath and placed a hand on Uraraka’s shoulder to let her know she could move. Both blushed and did their best to ignore the entire situation. ‘First event, what’s it gonna be?’

 

“This is where the fun, and the pain, shall begin. The first fateful game of this year’s festival!” The teacher announced as a screen appeared behind her, seemingly hundred of options rolling past the screen waiting for selection. “And out first event is….”

 

The whole student body waited anxiously as the selector rolled passed option after option before eventually starting to slow. Finally it landed on one option that Midoriya couldn’t help but smirk at. ‘Perfect.’

 

“AN OBSTACLE RACE!” Midnight announced excitedly, turning to look as a variety of instructions appeared on screen. “This will be a full participation event, which means every class is taking part! You’ll all have to run four kilometres around the outside of the arena. I don’t want to restrain anyone, at least in this game, So your free to do whatever you want, as long as you don’t leave the course!”

 

‘Or break any pre-determined specific rules, right?’ Midoriya assumed internally. ‘Ok, this is what I was waiting on…’

 

“Take your places contestants!”

 

‘Honestly…..I hope you’re watching Naozumi.’ “Because I am here….for good.”

 

* * *

 

 

“On your marks!”

 

Midoriya took a calming breath as he looked up at the intimidating red gate, with lights signifying when they would be allowed to run. His hand glowed with blue energy as he thought about his first move. ‘That’s a tiny hallway compared to the amount of people who are going to be trying to get through. Honestly it would be a good trap fo-Todoroki! Ok, better watch the ground.’

 

The light to signify they should get ready turned on. Midoriya got into position, angling his hand upwards.

 

“Get Set!”

 

‘Once I’m on the other side I’ll have to think and work stuff out on the fly. Everyone is probably going to get stuck in the hall so at least once I’m out I’ll have some breathing room for a while. All Might, I’ll do you proud.’

 

The final light flashed up.

 

‘Overseers, Demons, Shigaraki and anyone else who wants to come after me…’

 

“Go!”

 

‘Here’s why it’s a bad idea!’

 

The entire crowd rushed forward, feet hammering hard against the ground making noise akin to thunder as Present Mic excitedly narrated from the background. Midoriya, instead of following on foot immediately used his magic, Far Reach sprouting forth and attaching to the roof, pulling the boy forward. He let go immediately once he was in the air and soared above some of his classmates.

 

He saw Mineta and Denki beneath him as he shot forth. Once he started to fall he connected to the walls to boost himself more, running along the walls when he had to to keep up his momentum.

 

‘It’s been a few moments. Todoroki was at the front which means he’s probably close to the entrance by now which means….’

 

As the boy was thinking he saw the floor and walls quickly turning to ice and he smirked, deliberately waiting until the last moment before leaping into the air again, avoiding being frozen. ‘It’s a good thing he can’t do that instantly.’

 

It only took a few more seconds before he shot out of the exit in the air. A loud explosion behind him drew his attention and he saw he wasn’t the only one who had managed to avoid the attack.

 

Momo and Kirishima were flying through the air, the girl on a pole and the boy seemingly having just leapt as hard as he could. Aoyoma rocketed through the air by using his laser and Sero had employed a similar strategy to Midoriya.

 

“Nice trick, TodorokI!” The creator girl shouted. All the rest of the class were focused on catching the hetero chromatic boy or breaking the ice.

 

Right beside the greenette though was Bakugou, using his explosions to fly. So his attention was definitely elsewhere. “Dammit Deku! FUCK OFF!”

 

The blonde immediately tried to explode Midoriya out of the air, but the greenette managed to dodge. Unfortunately it cost him his momentum and he fell back to the ground, falling behind by a few places. Bakugou didn’t stop to continue fighting.

 

“Annoying but nothing to worry about.” Midoriya thought to himself as he continued to run. ‘Better give Far Reach a break while I can. With my natural enhancements keeping ahead of most everyone should be a cinch anyways. The only person I can think of who could move faster is Iida and I think he got stuck back in the ice barrage.’

 

He quickly passed by the few he had fallen behind, making quick time back to the front. He wasn’t prepared for the unexpected giant frozen zero pointer above him that Bakugou was flying over. Looking forward he saw Todoroki having already cleared the new obstacles which turned out to be entrance exam robots.

 

A creak got the boy’s attention and he realized the giant robot was falling, almost right on top of him. ‘Oh boy!’

 

“Careful, I froze them off balance.” Todoroki called back. “On purpose!”

 

“Of course you did.” Midoriya muttered as he quickly threw his hand out to another nearby zero pointer, grabbing it with his Far Reach and flying out the way just in time. He flew past and landed in the centre of a group of smaller robots.

 

The faux villains turned, ready to try and attack him. A quick glance revealed Todoroki wasn’t too far ahead so the greenette didn’t immediately rush after him again.

 

“Ya know, I know I should be focusing on the race but….” Midoriya looked at the three faux villains and his hand flared with energy before his newest power manifested. The sharp point of his once tentecale graZed off the ground and the boy laughed quietly. “I really want to make up for my bad showing in the entrance exam. Not to mention I need a target to test this on.”

 

A three pointer barrelled toward him and the boy quickly dived out the way before turning and cleaving through the robots head, which caused it to shut down immediately. ‘Wow this thing doesn’t mess around.’

 

The other two robots took swings at him but he ducked before cleaving through both their mid-sections with ease. ‘Awesome!’

 

"I'M ALIVE!" A familiar voice screamed and Midoriya turned to look back, seeing Kirishima bursting out of the Zero pointer that Todoroki had incapacitated. ‘Holy crap, did he get crushed!? What the hell Todoroki?!’

 

The greenette turned back around, quickly picking up a piece of metal he had seen fall of one of the robots he attacked, in case he needed a shield and hurried forward. ‘He isn’t playing around. Gotta-‘ “Oh….It’s you….”

 

A shadow towered above Midoriya and he looked up to see the new Zero pointer towering over him. There was one interesting detail though, its face had clearly been dented in before. The marked boy was certain it was the one he destroyed in the exam. “Surprised you’re still active.”

 

A series of beeps that sounded suspiciously angry came from it.

 

“Alright then, let’s do this without breaking my bones!” Midoriya said as he dived out the way of a punch that collided with the ground, before turning and wrapping Far Reach around the robots neck. "It’s been nice to see you participating in this race…”

 

He yanked with all his might, smashing the robots face into the ground hard and causing it to splay out, unable to right itself. The greenette rushed forward and pierced its robotic skull with the metallic shield he picked up, and the lights of its eyes died out. “….but for you, this was a short circuit race I’m afraid.”

 

“Seriously, you’re spouting one-liners now?!” An amused voice asked and Midoriya turned to see Jirou incapacitating some of the bots with her earjacks.

 

“Well, thinking one up helps keep me distracted, both empathy and ‘I’m about to be killed’ wise. Still better than what I said at the abbey, that’s for sure.” The greenette said to her before turning and running off, nto hearing the girl asking what exactly he said.

 

Some of the crowd had slipped past while he had taken on the zero pointer and pulled ahead of him once more. He wasn’t particularly worried, as they seemed to be frozen by some obstacle ahead but he did still increase his speed. ‘Not at top speed yet.’

 

It slowly came more into sight and the marked boy couldn’t help the massive grin that split across his face. ‘The pitfall, this is gonna give me a massive boost.’

 

Uraraka and Mina seemed frozen as a pink haired girl Midoriya recognized as Hatsume jumped into the pit before flying back into the air with some gadgets she had on her. ‘Attaching to the pillars? Smart move to avoid the slow route of the tightropes. Not the fastest route though.’

 

Midoriya slung the metallic shield onto his back as he rushed past multiple people. Both Mina and Uraraka looked surprise when they recognized him and realized he wasn’t stopping his full on sprint. He leapt into the air and let himself fall, attaching his Far Reach to one pillar on his way down and making sure it stayed.

 

‘Six years ago, the second years also had to compete in an obstacle course. Most of the obstacles were different from this one but this pit fall was there. They swap out stuff so that each sports festival is unique as possible but the stuff that returns, they rarely change the rules on…’

 

A variety of red soft looking springs came into view and the boy braced himself as he held onto his tentacle tight. His feet collided with the springs and they launched him upwards, as he used Far Reach to pull him forward. He came flying out of the pitfall once more, getting high into the air and travelling forward at an incredible speed.

 

He quickly attached to another pillar and pulled himself forward, landing at the other side of the pit ahead of all but two people in the race. ‘Can’t stop to congratulate myself, gotta catch Todoroki and Bakugou.’

 

“WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! IZUKU MIDORIYA CLEARED THE PITFALL IN LESS THAN 12 SECONDS, THAT’S GOT TO BE A NEW RECORD!”

 

‘U.A., despite all the insane stuff, obviously won’t actually kill a student on purpose. The pitfall isn’t deadly, nor does falling in disqualify you but it is supposed to penalize you by throwing you further back in the race. With my powers though I was able to turn it into an advantage instead. Now, let’s find out what the last obstacle is. Time to kick up to full gear.’

 

He rushed as fast as he could, tree’s becoming a blur as he ran to the next obstacle. He could hear Bakugou and Todoroki fighting just up ahead. A few moments later he turned and froze as he saw the final obstacle. ‘A landmine field?! You gotta be kidding me…’

 

His two classmates didn’t notice him, to busy fighting up front, they had only made it to the halfway point of the field. The greenette turned around and saw no one else had made it past the pit fall yet. He pulled the shield of his back as he thought about how to proceed. ‘Can’t just sprint across the field or use Far Reach to try to fly across the top of it, will definitely get hit by an explosion if I do. Think, think, wait…I got it!’

 

Midoiriya looked at his left hand and felt the energy surging within it, before he planted his hand into the ground next to a mine. ‘Please don’t blow up in my face…’

 

It took a second but his tentacle pulled out the mine from under the floor, still active without setting it off and the boy grinned. ‘Right, better get to work.’

 

It took a couple of minutes, and as Midoriya turned to look back he saw some people had finally cleared the pit. Bakugou and Todoroki were near the exit and he was ready. ‘Let’s do this.’

 

He ran forward, metal sheet in hand and jumped atop a pile of explosives he had put together, making sure to angle himself forward. The force of the explosion propelled him and the two boys in the lead froze to look back at what had happened.

 

In just a few seconds, the marked teen was falling towards the ground in front of his opponents. ‘Right, now I just need to jump off and use Far Reach to clear the fiel-‘

 

BOOM!

 

An explosion set off beneath Midoriya and the sheet flew out from under him, causing Midoriya to fall just in front of the other two, very narrowly avoiding a mine and being overtaken by his classmates while he was winded.

 

“WHAT’S THE MATTER DEKU?! LOST YOUR FUCKING FOCUS?!” Bakugou asked with a predatory grin. The magic users eyes widened as the words played through his head.

 

‘Focus, _focus!_ Every time I’ve tried to use the weak version my focus was in the wrong place. I kept focusing on the amount of power I was putting in but what if….’

 

If this was going to work he needed to do it now, so he didn’t hesitate as he threw his hand out and Far Reach shot forward. ‘Focus on controlling each individual tendril, not how much power is used!’

 

The tentecale exploded into 12 different tendrils, each twitching and ready to be commanded. ‘Grab it!’

 

All of the new tendrils followed the boys command as they wrapped around the metal sheet, ready to obey. Midoriya smirked as Bakugou and and Todoroki where caught off-guard by what was to them a brand new power. “FOCUS ON _THIS_ KACCHAN!”

 

As the boy shouted that he yanked back and around, not giving the blonde enough time to react and hitting him in the face, knocking him further back into the field, causing him to land on a land mine.

 

The greenette didn’t stop swinging around as he let go of the shield, deliberately throwing it above the fire and ice users head.

 

“You missed.” Todoroki said as he looked at the sheet flying away, which made Midoriya chuckle lightly.

 

“Made you look.” He said as Far Reach burst forth, hitting off the ground on a mine just beneath Todoroki. The marked boy saw the teen disappear into smoke and took off into a sprint. He avoided just enough land mined before getting close enough to the edge of mine field, using his power to clear the last few explosives.

 

He took off as fast as he could, running for the finish line.

 

“DAMMIT DEKU!”

 

“Midoriya!”

 

He knew the two were behind him but even with their quirks, it was too late. He was inside the hallway. Just a few more seconds until…

 

Light glared into the teen’s eyes as sweat dripped down his head, one glorious phrase shouted from the commentary box.

 

“IZUKU MIDORIYA PLACES FIRST IN THE OBSTACLE COURSE!”


	27. Preparing for the Second Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this story? Maybe you enjoy my other stuff as well? If so i've re-purposed an old Discord Server that I hardly ever used into a place for those who enjoy my stuff. Feel free to join, all are welcome at "Sonnie's Fancy Fanfic Fandom Facillity"!
> 
> https://discord.gg/9pVHmSv

“IZUKU MIDORIYA PLACES FIRST IN THE OBSTACLE COURSE!”

 

Cheering erupted from the stadium from the majority of the spectators while Midoriya looked around, smiling nervously trying not to focus on the dying surge of adrenaline.

 

His eyes skirted over Endeavour, the world’s number two hero who was standing in one of the specators stands, looking unseemingly unamused. Midoriya never had liked the man, he was in many ways the opposite of All Might despite his number two position.

 

Beside the flame hero was a scrawnier man who looked equally unamused, though his eyes seemed to bore into the soul of whoever locked gazes with him, causing Midoriya’s hand to twitch. ‘Odd.’

 

He continued looking around until he found what he was looking for, the teachers stand. His smile became more certain as he saw his mentor, applauding with the rest of the staff.

 

After that, he had took a seat on the grass near where Miss Midnight was set-up, ready for when she had to announce the second event. After a couple moments, Todoroki sprinted into the stadium, followed a moment later by a green-haired girl who was violently batting away at a fire on her plant like hair.

 

The likely cause of the flame burst out a moment later, Bakugou radiating so much rage Midoriya didn’t even need his empathy for the headache to set in. ‘Guess I set him back further than I thought….’

 

 

More and more people came through but Midoriya busied himself with the laces of his shoes, trying not to look in Bakugou’s direction for all the negative emotion he was projecting.

 

His attention turned to Todoroki, who stared right at the greenette with his emotionless eyes. As Midoriya was finding out though, unlike Bakugou Todoroki didn’t struggle to hide how he felt.

 

Disappointment, anger, annoyance…….self-loathing? And something else….

 

“Todo-“ Was as far as Midoriya could get, considering asking then and there when the hetrochromatic teen turned and walked away. “-Roki…..Why……..is there so much pain?”

 

Midoriya sighed, and turned his attention to the voice shouting on him. “DEKU!!! THAT WAS AMAZING!”

 

He smiled as he saw Uraraka running towards him. At least she wouldn’t set off his new power.

 

New power…..He really hoped there would be a break in the competition before the next event. Just what was that before the race?

 

“It….wasn’t anything special. I just put everything I had and did what I did best….” Midoriya said, shrugging it off. Just behind Uraraka, who was sitting down on the grass herself now trying to recatch her breathe, Iida stood muttering something to himself, looking defeated.

 

Beside the blue haired teen, Jirou and Hagakure were walking towards them, similarly tired out.

 

“God that was intense….” Hagakure muttered as she crashed into the floor next to Uraraka. “People really started getting vicious once you finished Midori…..”

 

“Speaking of…..Good going dude.” Jirou added, clutching her knees but smiling none-the-less. “Guess……the whole abbey thing was good for something after all, you made half of us look like wusses when you dived into that pit.”

 

Midoriya was just silent, smiling at his friends praise. Unfortunately, as was becoming a pattern in the boy’s life, nothing was simple and something was always bad.

 

Even setting the Todoroki situation aside, despite how much it was starting to bug him, His hand ached, and he was really starting to worry. Every time his hand was hurting, without being used, something bad inevitably happened. Usually to do with magic. So why was it so irriating right now?

 

‘Maybe I should try to sneak away and talk to the outsider befor-‘

 

“The first game for the first years is finally over and what a game it was!” Midnight suddenly announced, pulling the teen out of his thoughts as he turned to the woman, a frown forming on his face. ‘-Before that. Crap.’ “Now let’s take a quick look at the standings, shall we?”

 

The screen behind Midnight flashed up with a picture of Midoriya, a green number one emblazoned behind him. Next was Todoroki, showing his number two spot. Then the green haired girl, who turned out to be called shiozaki had managed to place third, Bakugou then came in fourth.

 

Midoriya then tuned out for most of the rankings, only concerned with his friends. Iida placed 6th, Uraraka came in another ten places behind, Jirou placed just behind her. Hagakure was the last of his friends to come up on the list, placing 37th.

 

“Only the first fourty two who have made it will proceed in the tournament, but don’t feel too bad if you were just a little too slow. We still have other opportunities for you to shine.” Midnight announced and Midoriya looked around.

 

Every single member of his class was still in the running, and as such was also still capable of taking him OUT of the running. His eyes settled on the two real threats.

 

Todoroki the greenette only lingered on, his emotions still the same as he absorbed what the teacher was saying.

 

Bakugou on the other hand had calmed down enough that the rage wasn’t the only thing the marked boy’s empathy picked out, though it was certainly the most prominent emotion. Amidst it though was a disappointment as expected, and even more self-loathing though the boy could guess exactly what that was about with the blonde.

 

To publicly lose to anyone, especially Midoriya would drive the explosive teen mad, and as a result he was going to be out for blood, even more than usual. There was one emotion though that had truly caught the greenette off-guard, or rather the lack of the emotion.

 

It was closest to lonliness but it was more…..hollow, non-descript…..empty. It was a feeling of emptiness. Why was Bakugou of all people feeling that?

 

"It’s time for the second event now! The chance to fully move into the limelight, to prove yourself to those before you, give it all you have and then some students! Now, lets see whats up next!”

 

The wheel from before appeared spinning on screen once more. The students held their breathe, Midoriya’s eyes narrowed, ready for whatever was about to pop up.

 

“CAVALRY BATTLE!”

 

…..Shit. Teamwork based event.

 

“Wait how is that gonna work?” Mina questioned from nearby.

 

“Allow me to explain. The participants will form teams of two to four people as they see fit. It’s more or less the same as a normal game.”

 

“Ok so it’s probably not to bad if you can get to your friends first. This should be fine-“ Midoriya began to mutter before Midnight continued, catching him off guard.

 

“Each player will be wearing a headband that holds a point value on it. These points are decided by your ranking in the exam, naturally, 1st place has the highest score.”

 

“I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.” The magic teen groaned, face palming as all eyes turned to him. “At least the point value can’t be that bad-“

 

“The point value’s start in increments of fives, starting from the bottom. For example 42nd place is worth five points, and 41st is worth ten. Oh and the first place student? Ten million points.”

 

All eyes were definitely on him now. Sweat dripped down his neck and he had but one thing to say. “WHY DID I OPEN MY MOUTH AGAIN?!”

 

* * *

 

 

‘You’d never be able to hang with the best of the best!’

 

Bakugou’s words, from what felt like a long time ago played through Midoriya’s head as people started to disband, getting ready for the event. In the corner of his eye, he could see Jirou and Hagakure playing rock paper scissors to decide something.

 

‘I’m here now, with everything I could want. Still, even with everything, I’ve got a target on my back. Is that really what my fate in this world is supposed to be? A target?’

 

He saw Uraraka and Jirou making their way towards him and he decided one thing, here and now.

 

‘Target or not, I can’t go down easy. In this cavalry battle, the reasons are superficial but….I got to make sure no matter what, I’ll always get up. I need to be ready to take every hit the world has and give it back without flinching.’

 

“I just need one person, and I’m good.” He muttered as he looked around. Of course, having more than one partener would be ideal but if what he had in mind would work, he only needed someone who could support his body weight and move fast enough to catch him from a fall.

 

He had tried to find a few partners already, but they had all refused. It wasn’t surprising, no one cared about their own headbands with a much higher value one in play. Still he struggled not to grin at that attitude.

 

“Deku, we should team up!” Uraraka said, beaming. Jirou nodded as well beside her but remained wordless.

 

“You sure? These ten million points are gonna be targeted, it’s gonna be annoying as heck.” He asked, as looked arounf the field.

 

“I’m sure, with your strategy skills and all our more tactical quirks, not to mention your range with your Far Reach and I think we can really have a shot of taking this.” Uraraka said confidently, fist pumping.

 

“I can keep people away from us with my earjacks. There fast and precise enough, it’s a bit like a set of bee’s stinging you, just without any venom. Annoying, and will make them move which gives us distractions we may need. Not to mention I can steal some” Jirou said, crossing her arms and Midoriya nodded.

 

“Yeah, that will be useful. Do you think you’ll be able to deal with holding me up? I have a plan but I need to be the rider for it to work….” Midoriya asked as he looked at his marked hand.

 

The plan was both smart and yet stupid, reckless and if it failed would be a total disaster. It was patened Midoriya.

 

“I think we can manage, especially If I can manage to nullify your gravity.” Uraraka said confidently and Midoriya smirked.

 

“Then I think we can all agree our team needs just one more person. I trust you guys with most of what I’ll need but we need someone who can catch me almost definitely from the air…..” Midoriya muttered and the two girls looked at him questiongly. “Fortunately I know exactly who to ask!”

 

* * *

 

 

“No.”

 

Midoriya gaped at Iida, so sure the taller teen would have been his beacon of hope.

 

“Please don’t think this is personal, Midoriya. You’re a great friend, but if I continue to just follow you, I’ll never get stronger.” Iida explained, re-adjusting his glasses. “They may have been the ones to outright challenge you, but they aren’t the only ones who see you as a rival. All I can promise is I’ll do my best to beat you.”

 

With that, the engine quirk wielder walked off towards Todoroki’s team.

 

“Well that fell flat.” Jirou muttered and Uraraka nodded. “That’s not your whole plan collapsed now is it?”

 

“No…..Just a small setback.” Midoriya said, shaking his head. He looked past the girls where not to far away Tokoyami stood brooding. “I did have….one other idea.”

 

Midoriya cut past the two of them, walking towards the bird teen. Tokoyami seemed to sense his approach as his eyes flew open and he turned to look at the greenette questioningly.

 

“I have a plan to win, if you’ll join me.”

 

“Intresting, and what would my role be? What is this plan?”

 

Midoriya explained and the bird boy’s eyes seemed to shine with comprehension as the marked teen got further into his explaintion.

 

“So, you need me to use Dark Shadow, both to defend the team and to serve as a a catcher?” Tokoyami questioned and the greenette nodded. A smirk passed the darker teen’s beak. “Intresting. Most would propose I use Dark Shadow primarly as an offense. Unbeknowst to them, Dark Shadow’s skill is not in offensive capability during the day. The more light around, the less power he has. You can’t have possibly known this and yet, now in the middle of the day when he would be weakest, you proposed the correct call of tactical and defensive use. Alright then, count me in.”

 

Midoriya grinned as Tokoyami made his way towards the girls. However it faltered for a moment as his hand suddenly ached. He looked around, for any cause yet found nothing.

 

His eyes did set upon Endeavour though, and the man beside him. The man seemed to be grinning which set him on edge but he ignored it, turning and walking to his team.

 

He must be getting paranoid after all these incidents.


	28. The second round: Cavalry Battle

  
Midoriya let out a steadying sigh as he tried not to lean too much on any one. He hoped the soles of his shoes weren't too uncomfortable on Uraraka's shoulders.

Looking across the field he was certain he'd be able to feel the stares even if he was blind. They were all focusing on him, the ten million points in their sights. He tried not to laugh too much too himself over it.

“Moths to a flame…” Jirou muttered under her breathe as Midnight got ready to make them start. Any moment now. Midoriya grinned just a little.

From everything Midoriya had been witnessed doing and what he know about the people around him, plus the simple facts of his situation, most would have prepared for one or both of two possibilities.

He felt Uraraka hold his leg tight, pinky ready to touch him and start their plan at any moment. Jirou's earjacks he could see hovering at the ready and Dark Shadow was hidden among the massive shadow they casted with their formation.

Possibility ome: They run. They can't let anyone get the ten thousand points off of them, hence it would make sense to try to avoid confrontation. At least, that’s what those who didn't know him would be expecting. With their combination of mostly long range quirks, it was the immediately obvious solution.

Midnight stepped forward to her microphone, ready to start the event. Midoriya clenched his marked hand and looked at its dim blue glow, excitement rising.

Possiblity two: They combine their powers for some complex attacks to deflect everyone. Likely that’s what 1-A would expect, they probably figured out he used people's expectations against them by now. Which meant he just had to adapt as well.

“BEGIN!”

Midoriya gritted his teeth as the thundering steps of every other team rushed at them. Time slowed and Midoriya grin grew. ‘That pretty much confirms it, definitely a reaction time power or something. Add that to the list of conversations to have with the outsider.’

“Deku!” Uraraka called out as he felt his weight disappear from him. He recalled the rules of the competition one more time, not that he had to, really. This was a barely legal maneuver but his plan needed it. ‘If they expect us to run as a group or fight as a group….’

The floor turned to some kind of liquid, tape flew at them and everyone inched closer. His friends side stepped away from the floor and the rest quickly ceased to matter as Midoriya kicked off of Uraraka and Jirou's shoulders, hoping he didn't hit them too hard.

‘…I PICK OPTION C!’

He floated up and a quick tap from Dark Shadow helped him pick up a bit of speed, before the shadow creature turned and blocked an incoming attack that seemed to come from Hatsume.

“DEKU!”

“Midoriya!”

“Is that even allowed?!”

He floated above the stadium and looked around, getting higher and higher, noting Bakugou looking ready to take chase. Only one thing held him back.

“I'LL ALLOW IT, NO RULES ARE BROKEN BY THIS AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T TOUCH THE GROUND!” Midnight's voice sounded and instantly an explosion went off, Bakugou making his way to him.

The greenette didn't try to escape. In fact, aa soon as the explosive teen was in audible range….

“STUPID MOVE DEKU!”

“You know there calling me a witch? The abbey?” He questioned non-chalantly, eyes more on the ground than his once friend. He tried not to look at the smoke the explosions he produced made, he didn't need to have an episode.

“I DON'T FUCKING CARE!” Bakugou screamed in his usual predictable way and it was all Midoriya could do not to laugh. He grabbed the blonde and swung him around with his regular Far Reach, keeping him just far enough away. ‘I really hope Uraraka's all right, the plan will be straining her a lot….’ “GIVE UP FUCKER, YOU JUST MADE YOURSELF AN EASY TARGET!

“You don't care but I do…..i think i'll embrace it, I certainly don't mind being considered magic.” The greenette chuckled. ‘Just a few more seconds….Make sure everyone is in a good position…’ “Magician might be more accurate though…”

Suddenly his weight returned and he let out a quick proper laugh as the blonde's eyes widened. Midoriya looked back with his most shit eating grin. “After all, you keep falling for my misdirections!”

And with that he plummeted fast, twisting his body in the air and aiming his hand at the ground. He tried his best not to let the more panicked part of his brain take over. ‘Lets hope I can pull this off, and my enhancements can make me survive this. Momentum don't fail me now….’

This was the stupid, risky part of his plan, but if it succeded…..No it would, he would make it succeed!

“NOW!”

His hand surged with energy and he ssht forth his new Far Lance, embedding it into the ground and immediately swinging his body around it upon impact. He lurched with the sudden stop and felt a slight tickle as he very very barely avoided the floor.

His body immediately started to complain but he ignored it, letting go and using the momentum to rocket forward towards his team. In between them was Hagakure’s team, which had Hatsume, Satou and someone else he couldn't see helping. He reached out and….

“HAH! Sorry guys!” He said as he shot past, taking Satou's headband with him. He could only make it so far before his body started falling to the ground though…

‘Come on, come on….’

And suddenly a large shadow loomed beneath him, quickly coming off the ground and catching him. From somewhere nearby Midoriya heard Tokoyami praising Dark Shadow but he couldn't take a break yet, he still needed to act quickly while he was in the right position.

He shot out Far Reach and it quickly exploded into a bunch of tendrils, all shooting off to the other groups. It was almost too perfect, 12 tendrils, 12 groups and all attention definitely on him, rushing to attack him without realizing he was at the centre of every one of the groups like he wanted.

Some tried to dodge but his tendrils moved faster than the tentacle which in itself was fast enough to be impossible to dodge without being prepared for it. The black and purple tendrils all grabbed onto the riders headbands and pulled back before they could be stopped, and they all ended up fluttering in the same spot above him.

He quickly grabbed them all and held onto Dark Shadow as he was pulled back to his team. Uraraka looked worn out already for which Midoriya felt guilty but she pushed on. The marked teenager sat atop them again and they took the moment to retreat to safer ground while the other teams were stunned by the maneuver.

“You’re insane, man!” Jirou laughed as they rode off to the side of the field. “Still, when your plans work, they work!”

“I must concur.” Tomoyami said in agreement and Midoriya smiled as he quickly wrapped all the bands around his head and neck, using the quick movements to hide his detachment of the ten million points which he then set in the middle of his neck. He hide all the point values as he did. “Smart choice. Even if we lose the ten million, we won't be out of the game. How many did you grab?”

“Nine. Bakugou was too high up to grab anything I think. Todoroki’s isn't here either. We just gotta keep away and keep our defense up now.” Midoriya said as took in his surroundings. He noticed a blonde boy from 1-B still had his headband on him, plus a few others around his neck. “Guess he's the third….”

He didn't even register he hadn't called Bakugou Kacchan.

“Incoming!” Uraraka suddenly shouted and Midoriya turned, seeing a barrage of purple balls flying at them. Midoriya reacted immediately, throwing out his tendrils and sending the balls back at Shoji, who seemed to be shielding Mineta with his arms. One landed beneath the multi-armed teens foot, sticking him in place. “Hah! Guess he forgot to consider that your tendrils just disappear.”

“Lets move!” Midoriya instructed as he looked for any other potential threats.

 

~~~~

  
They had lapped the field twice already without being caught out once, switching and dodging around the other teams. Dark Shadow and Far Reach worked in tandem, fending off stronger attacks together while Jirou incapacitated anyone who get too close and caught projectiles that slipped by.

A minute or two remained of the competition and the magic teen could sense their victory on the horizon, but of course, they couldn't obtain it that easily…

“You know, the pro's might not want to take you in for internships after that stunt you pulled Midoriya.” The stoic and controlled voice of Todoroki cut through his musings, and his team turned to see the hetrochromatic teen’s team standing just across from them. “They'll think you’re a lunatic. Granted, a smart one but still…In a way, one has to respect that. It’s a good trait for a hero to be willing to do everything they can…. But, it won't mean much here.”

Midoriya looked on, his face a mask of worry. Inside however, he was repressing the urge to laugh. There was nothing particularly funny but his body seemed to want to betray his plan.

“Iida. Now!” Todoroki commanded and suddenly, barely a second seemed to pass and yet….The greenette slowly turned, noting the lack of weight on his head, and saw the team they had just been talking to behind them, headbands in hand.

In a second they had pulled off a move the marked boy's team simply couldn’t block and yet Todoroki just looked bored.

Well until he looked at the headbands.

‘Can't let Iida do that again!’

“Urachan, float me quick!” The marked boy instructed frantically, hoping she could handle it. “Now, do it please!”

“R-right!”

His weight disappeared again and he kicked away immediately as he saw the fire and Ice teen's face darken, his own grin finally spreading. He had hoped his lack of reaction would trick Todoroki into thinking he had hid the points in plain sight, knowing the teen was too smart to fall for a simple trick, especially if Midoriya acted in any way that would give him away. It had still been mostly random chance but he had done everything to tip the scales in his favor and it paid off. “Now run!”

He still had the ten million poi-

“DEKU YOU BASTARD!”

“Oh, of course you show up now!” Midoriya muttered as he looked to see Bakugou racing towards him again, explosion after explosion going off. He saw his own team retreating but keeping their eyes on him amd he saw Todoroki firing out a giant barrage of ice. ‘It doesn't really matter whether I run or fight here, just gotta outlast these two- IDEA!’

Bakugou got closer and Midoriya used that to his advantage, faking his use of Far Reach. The blonde immediately went to dodge and Midoriya grinned as it gave him the opportunity to kick the blonde, sending him backwards and avoiding the ice. ‘Just a few seconds….for my pride, if nothing else…’

The teen yelled down to Uraraka, requesting his release and a moment later gravity affected him once more, he used it to his advantage, grabbing onto the ice and swinging around until he was level with it. ‘3…3…1…’

“AHHH DEKU!”

Right on cue.

The ice exploded and Midoriya immediately launched forward his Far Reach, feet landing on the ice that remained and zooming past his childhood friend before he could be stopped. ‘it isn't the stadium ground so if Midmight is allowing technicalities then this should be fine.’

Now he just had to hope for the best as he slid down the ice with his feet as if it was a skateboard of some kind, arm pointed at Todoroki. ‘Can I do this? Well….one way to find out…’’

The stoic teen prepared himself, raising his arm and for the first time that day, in fact for the first time as far as Midoriya knew him, the flames of his quirk finally appeared.

He jumped off the ice as Bakugou trailed behind, using his tentacle to put out the fire. He aimed again, ready to grab and time seemed to slow once more.

Bakugou was behind him, Todoroki in front and the three teens had howmyuch time to fight? To claim victory?

“TIMES UP!”

….

Oh.

None apparently. With that, Midoriya let himself fall and roll across the floor, standing up and brushing himself off. Bakugou didn't land as gracefully, simply planting into the ground.

“WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT SPORTS FANS? EVERYONE AGAINST THEM AND YET TEAM MIDORIYA DIDN'T LOSE THE TEN MILLION POINTS EVEN ONCE, THANKS TO THEIR AWESOME SKILLS AND WILY PLANS!”

“You really are nothing short of insane.” Tokoyami's voice said and Midoriya turned, surprised to see his team had already made it back to him. “Yet, it seems it’s a brand of insanity you and you alone wield. You are an odd fellow Midoriya but I must commend you.”

“Or, if you don't want to sound all Edgar Allan Poe, your nuts but well done.” Jirou commented with a grin. Uraraka remained silent as she took a seat to steady herself. Midoriya scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he went to help her.

“Sorry about making you float me again, I didn't want to risk Iida doing whatever he did again and catching us all off guard. Guess he couldn't though.”

“It's called my Recipro Burst and you are correct….” Came the voice of their taller friend. Turning to face the speedster teen, the greenette noticed he seemed to be limping. “I apologize for not telling you sooner but I needee to save something for the sports festival. I’m sure you of all people can appreciate that, Midoriya.”

“Yeah, I get it.” The marked teen said as he helped Uraraka back onto her feet. The greenette looked up into the stands and saw his mentor smiling proudly once more. He smiled back briefly as he continued to scan the stadium.

He settled on Endeavour yet again and saw the other man from before walking away. His mark ached once more, even worse this time and Midoriya felt as though he was punched in the gut.

Maybe he wasn't as paranoid as he--

“Midoriya.” Todoroki's voice cut off his thoughts and he turned to stoic boy. He was immediately overwhelmed by the rush of anger and disappointment the fire and ice teen projected despite his calm appearance. “We need to talk.”

“Todoroki…” Midoriya tried to think of an excuse as he turned to the spot the man had been standing at before, only to see him gone. The greenette let out a sigh. ‘Damn it.’ “Yeah ok. Let's talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe. Whoops. Sorry about the wait but for some reason this chapter was just....a bitch to get started. Once i got past that though things started falling into place.


	29. Before the fights

Midoriya felt like he was gonna be sick, as he processed everything the hetrochromatic teen decided to tell him. Todoroki likely didn't even realise Midoriya could feel all his remembered emotions pains as he went through but he could

“My father trained me to be the best. No matter how it hurt me or those around me.”

Oh god he could.

“My mother called my left side unbearable before she pouree boiling hot water on my left side…that..that’s where this scar came from.”

Midoriya held his stomach as he looked at the floor, tears in his own eyes, marked fist shaking in anger.

“Now you know. I'll win this competition without using his damn fire quirk and prove I don't need him.” Todoroki said, as he turned to walk away. Midoriya stared after him, not even sure how to process whar he'd heard.

“you’re clearly close to All Might. It's not hard to see.”

“Have you ever heard of quirk marriages? They became a problem with the rise of quirks…”

“he'd beat me until I vomited blood then tell me to stop being weak. He'd beat anyone for even suggesting to ease up on the training.”

“So if you're connected to the number one hero in someway, then I need to beat you.”

“He put my mother in a hospital. I don't blame her for what she did….”

Todoroki walked around the corner, and before he had a chance to think the magic teen rushed after him.

“Todoroki!”

The boy turned, a questioning look on his face. The greenette shook his head to clear his mind before he looked up, fist closed tight.

“I…I can't say I know what it's like. I mean…I was bullied a lot but never have i…..” ‘Off-topic, Izuku.’ “I just want you to know…I want to win this just as much as you. To show people like the abbey they can't keep me down. So i'll be giving it my all, whether or not you will as well. You declared war on me, so I have to retaliate.”

The ice teen just let out a faint noise of acknowledgment before turning and walking away, leaving Midoriya on his own.

‘Endeavour…you bastard.’ Midoriya frowned then shook his head, as he remembered the man who'd been standing beside him. The boy turned and began to walk back to the stadium. ‘I gotta find that guy, figure out what exactly is causing all my aches-‘

**“Leave the false witch. Focus on the competition for now!”**

“Outsider?!” Midoriya's eyes widened in surprise as he looked around. “F-fake witch? What the void does thaf mean?”

No answer came. The boy sighed. ‘Great. Better head back to the field then. If he says not to go after him, there must be a reason…I hope.’

~~~~

"We'll be drawing lots to determine who will fight who in the next upcoming event.” Midnights voice washed across the students as she explained, the hologram from before showing an elimination style bracket. “You'll be fighting one on one, as always in the third event.”

“Oh yeah.”  
“Wasn't last year foam swords or something?”  
“I think so-"

“Quit interrupting!” Midnight shouted as she glared at the offending students, before jumping right back to her explanation. “You'll all be going head to head in a straight fight. If you are incapaciated, knocked out or removed from the ring, you lose and will be eliminated. The last two competitors standing will go head to head for first place. Now come forth-"

“Um, excuse me!” A masculine voice spoke up and everyone turned to see Ojiro holding up his hand. “I…I'd like to withdraw from the competition.”

“Wait what?!”

“Ojiro?! Are you sure? This is a major opportunity you're giving away!”

“I….i'm sure.” The blond said as he looked down towards the ground, tail drooping like a sad puppies would. “I…I didn't get here on my own merits. I don't remember anything from the last round, I can't go through like this.”

“Of course you can!”

“Yeah, just kill it in the finals and prove you should be here!”

“You don't understand, it's my pride i'm talking about here.”

Midoriya turned around fully at that, as another boy walked up to request the same. The greenette tuned everything else out as he laid a hand on the tail boy's shoulder.

Their eyes met and for a moment izuku frowned as his shame and disgust with himself pierced the boy's own emotions. Then he smiled.

“Do what you need to, but either way, you're still an amazing fighter Ojiro. No memory loss can take away that from you and your pride" He said with a determined gaze. The boy looked surprise before a small sad smile graced his face.

“Thanks…Midoriya.” He said, before looking up. “I still have to withdraw though.”

After that, and the replacements for the withdrawn competitors was choosen, they stepped forward to take their spots. Midoriya was one of the last to go, so he only saw the completed board on his way back.

Kirishima vs Testsutetsu  
Tokoyami vs Yaoyorozu  
Ashido vs Aoyoma  
Jirou vs Iida  
Shinso vs Midoriya  
Todoroki vs Sero

‘Todoroki….If he wins, then I could be facing him in the next round….’ He shook his head, looking at his first bracket. ‘No time to worry about that for now, first I need to figure out who shinso i-'

“Izuku Midoriya.” A deep voice said, causing the marked teen to jump, spinning around to see the purple haired boy from before, when his empathy overloaded him. “That's you, right? The kid who passed out.”

“Uh, ye-MPPH!” A ball of fluff entered his mouth and prevented him from finishing, causing Shinso to smirk.

“You can't speak to him.” Came Ojiro’s voice from behind, and the purple haired boy walked off.

“Ojiro, what the heck?” he questioned, coughing slightly from the hairs that stayed behind.

“Sorry, but you can't reply to anything he says, at all.” The taller teen explained, a glare on his face at the boy in the distance. “He's the one who caused me to lose my memory.”

“Wait really?”

The blonde turned, motiong for the greenette to follow him to the waiting rooms.

“Thanks for the pep talk by the way.” Ojiro said, as they walked up to the door. “I needed it.”

“Hey, being an empath isn't so bad if I can help my friends!” Midoriya replied with a bright smile, which the blonde replied to with a shaky grin of his own.

“Heh. You're too nice for your own good, I think.” Ojiro said as he sat down, Midoriya following suite. “Now, too buisness, I think that guy, shinso? I think he has a mind control quirk of some sort.”

Midoriya's eyes widened in surprised as he tilted his head questioningly. “Wait really?! But they're super rare!”

“Yeah, but I can't think of what else it could be.” Ojiro explained. “Hem..i didn't start following his instructions or lose my memory until after I talked to him, so I think it needs verbal control of some kind. Whatever you do, you cannot speak to him.”

The two took a couple of minutes, debating the possiblity of any other kind of quirk but they ended up agreeing, it could only be a mind control quirk.

“What if he does get me? If I mess up or he has some other way of using it?” Midoriya wondered and the taller boy scratched the back of his head.

“Well, I only remember the tail end of the cavalry battle, I bumped into someone I think and it snapped me out of it so I guess a big enough shock will do the trick.” Ojiro recalled, rubbing his knuckles against his palm in frustration over the occurrence. “Not sure how possible that will be in a one on one, empty arena fight though.”

“Yeah. I guess i'll just have to stay quiet.” Midoriya said as the other boy stood up.

“Yeah, I guess so. Do me a favor Midoriya, beat that guy for me.” The tail teen held out his hand, with a grin. Midoriya took it into his own, shaking it.

“I will.”

After that, Ojiro left for the spectators stands while Midoriya sat down to contemplate the fight.

‘We're up first, so no point going anywhere else until it's about to start. I wonder if he's able to fully control people? Maybe there's a limit to what he can order people to do….having full control over someone elses actions….’

Suddenly he let out a snarl without meaning to and he gripped the table as he felt his anger rise. ‘huh, Bakugou maybe-‘

His mark ached once more and his eyes widened. He heard footsteps outside and every muscle in his body screamed at him to run.

He did the first thing he could think of, firing out Far Reach to the support beams above and perching atop them, just in time as well. The door suddenly banged open and in stomped the man Midoriya was so curious of.

What really caught the boys attention and set him on edge was the ornate knife the man now wielded.

“Hmm….Dammit. bastard must be able to hide from the knife…” The man muttered as he took a moment to look around. Midoriya did his best to hide in the shadows, his outfit doing nothing to aide him. “Nothing. Oh well…I can get that tentecale later….”

With that, the man walked off and Izuku jumped back down, staring. “Tentecale? Did he mean my Far Reach…”

The boy started to hurry off, intending to warn a teacher when his footsteps suddenly stopped echoing and the floor became jagged. The air turned cold and he was no longer running down a hall but across a stone path to the outsider who was looking off the edge into the distance.

**“You can't warn anyone, Izuku.”**

“Huh? What why? Who is he?!” Midoriya questioned, starting to feel annoyed by the new development. “Is he a demon?”

 **“No. He is a disgusting rat.”** The outsider spat and Midoriya was taken a back by the unbidden anger that came through the normally stoic god.

“T-that was vehement…who? Who is he?”

**“You choose to call yourself a witch earlier and like I called him before, he is a false witch. I told you what happens when a person unprepared tries to access magic here, well he is here for your magic, using magic of his own.”**

“Wait seriously? But why isn't he all corrupted then?” Midoriya questioned with a raised brow and the black eyed deity just shook his head.

**“In time, Izuku. For now, all you need to know is that the knife must be destroyed and you must not tell anyone about him. Not a single soul until you yourself have exited the competition. You have one more fight not in the bracket Midoriya. You can't lose it.”**

The greenette went to question the god more but before he could the rock they stood upon suddenly flipped around and Midoriya began to plummet through the void.

“ **I can't keep you any longer, your match is fast approaching. It's time you learned what Magic and One for All can do together.”**

With that, Midoriya found himself back in the hallway, yet closer to the ring. Somewhere in the stands Present Mics voice called out.

“JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES BEFORE THE FIGHTS BEGIN SPORTS FANS! ARE YOU REAAADDDY?!”

The crowd screamed yes in response, cheering and whooping.

Midoriya responded with hitting his head against the wall. “Apparently not as prepared as I thought.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone want to take a guess what the stranger is? He's not with the abbey and he's not a demon. I'd reccomend looking at charmed villains, as my inspiration comes from there a lot if you wanna really try to figure it out.


	30. Midoriya vs Shinsou

“Hey, there you are! Been looking all over for ya!” A masculine spoke from behind Midoriya and his eyes widened, whipping around to see his mentor waving at him. “You've been amazing, if a little bit insane so far.”

“’A little bit?’” Midoriya questioned with a quirked brow causing the skinny man to scratch the back of his head.

“Ok, you've been really insane at somepoints, but its not that much for your usual brand of reckless abandon.” The man admitted and Midoriya groaned. ‘That hurts more, coming from him of all people.’

“Nervous?”

The greenette shook his head as he turned to look at the fight he'd be heading into in a moment. “It's just….I've been kind of backed into using Far Reach pretty exclusively by this whole tournament and now i'm about to face someone I don't even know…I know I have One for All but I can tell i'm not ready to try to use it yet. I'm still too weak…”

‘Not to mention he's an opponent that can mind control me. Doesn't help there's also the weird guy running about with some magic knife.’

“Hmm….I suppose I understand. If I had to guess, i'd say you can probably only use about three percent or so of One for All's power.” The blonde estimated, placing his finger to his chin in thought.

“Wait, only three percent?! Wow..” The greenette let out a sad sigh. “I'm worse than I thought.”

“Oh it's not as bad as you think, my boy!” The blond laughed, giving him a thumbs up. “I was accounting for your own strength enhancements. If we were talking purely based off my One for All. it would be more like nine to ten percent! Quite impressive all things considered!”

“O-oh!”

“Hahaha.” The pro's voice got deeper as steam flew off him and his body started to get bulkier. “Well my boy, you know whenever I am worried or concerned about a fight, I smile to reassure everyone including myself that it will be alright! Do you have a coping mechanism like that, young Midoriya?”

The teen took a moment to think, recalling the fights he had been in so far.

 _“Bird brain! Catch!”_  
_“Not my fault I didn't go to any buisness courses!”_  
_“Well this is a short circuit race for you.”_

He laughed nervously scratching the back of his head. “I tend to crack jokes a lot to distract myself from the situation i'm in. They're not that great overall though.”

“As good a mechanism as any, though Aizawa might disagree! Use it to your advantage!” All Might encouraged with a thumbs up, before pushing Midoriya out into the open. “Don't forget, you're already amazing in your own right! Now try to win!”

The greenette didn't get a chance to point out the advice didn't really work against Shinso.

 

~~~

  
The marked teen had his fists closed tight as he half walked, half marched onto the arena provided by cemntoss. It was a simple empty stone field, no unfair advantages to be had for most people who would fight upon it.

Present Mic continued to commentate from above, introducing the two competing students.

“FROM THE GENERAL STUIDIES COURSE, MAN DOES HE LOOK LIKE HE NEED SLEEP OR WHAT? IT'S 1-H'S HITOSHI SHINSO!”

The crowd cheered fairly loud, as the two finally made it to the top of the steps and faced each other, moving towards the centre. Midoriya grimaced as he felt the other boy's anger and sadness when they came to a halt.

He recongized these particular emotions far to well. ‘So that's why….’

“ _If any of us do well in the sports festival they could transfer us to the hero course…”_

‘I get it…’

“AND FROM THE HERO COURSE, HE'S BEEN MAKING HEADLINE AFTER HEADLINE, IT'S THAT NUTJOB FROM 1-A, IZUKU MIDORIYA!”

‘Nutjob? Guess that's going to be my reputation now….Why do I have a feeling it'll come back to bite me later?’

“You know, to be the best and reach the top, you can't care about what others think.” Shinsou started talking before the match even begin, and the greenette started to chant a mantra in his head to avoid screwing up. ‘Don't reply, don't reply, don't reply-‘ “You of all people I would of thought would understand that, considering the stuff you've done so far to win, despite what it could do to your chances of scoring internships later…”

“BEGIN!” Midnight commanded, waving around her whip. Midoriya began to march forward, intending to start a physical fight. ‘I can maybe make Todoroki uncertain about what power i'll be using, try to stop him strategizing ahead-"

“That stupid monkey was going on about his pride earlier.” ‘Don't replydon'treydon'treply’ “But really he's just an moron!”

‘don't –

“DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT OJIRO THAT WA-" Midoriya rushed forth, shouting in anger before suddenly, the world disappeared in a haze.

‘CRAP!’

Shinso grinned.

“That's it. I win.”

His arms went limp, his mouth hung open and his head was filled with fuzz and static.

“Now, turn around and leave the ring like a good little hero.”

‘NO!’

Despite his internal complaints, his body began to twist around and he heard the footsteps carrying him as he saw the edge of the arena get closer, an easy and quick disquafication.

‘I CAN'T!’

“ _Beat this guy, for me!”_

“I WON'T!’

His footsteps got closer and ckoser to the edge. The crowd seemed to be shouting but none of what they said could make it into the hazy reality he was stuck in. Ahead he saw his mentor seeming to be freaking out and shooing him back.

It was just a few more steps.

_“your amazing in your own right, now try to win!”_

Just one more step.

His mark lit up in a brilliant bright glow, he felt his body heat up as the raging fire of One for All suddenly clashed witb the unforgiving blizzard of his unbidden magic.

‘I…..I SAID NOOO!’

His foot fell back, just barely saving him frombthe edge as the world exploded into colour. The haze seemed to dissipate somewhat yet remain as ahead of him eight colourful shadows stood watching, cheering him on almost.

‘This Isn't my magic….this…is this One for All?!’

In amongst the colourful display, his hand ached as a surge of magic seemed to blast through his vision, overwhelming the colours and banishing most of the shadows, the haze almost gone.

One shadow remained, running closer and closer to him, colour and form coming together until…

“Come on Izuku! You can't be stopped now!” It was a woman, with long black hair wearing some kind of hero outfit with a cape and bright yellow gloves. She gave him a kind smile as she leaned forward, pushing the greenette backwards and gave him control of his limbs once more. “Go make Toshinori proud.’

With that, a burst of magic shot Far Reach forth and it smashed against the ground, truly waking the teen up from the unbelievable experience. He shook his head violently and turned around, shinsou looking on with a look of surprise mirroring his own. ‘Did I just have an acid trip or something?!’

“WHA- HE BROKE FREE! MIDORIYA REALLY IS SOMETHING ELSE, SPORTS FANS!”

The crowd cheered and whooped at his miraculous escape.

“The hell? How'd you get out?!” Shinsou demanded, stomping forward with a look of anger. Midoriya snapped his unmarked hand over his mouth, to avoid answering. ‘I have no clue, but I have to use the opportunity it's given me. I can't let this match continue-'

“Tch! You know, you're pretty damn lucky, being born with powers like you have!” Shinsou ground out, switching tatics to try to get the boy to talk. “You can be a hero without anyone stopping you or calling you a villain!”

Naozumi passed by the greenette’s mind eye as he threw his left hand forward, Far Reach bursting forth and wrapping around the purple haired teens torso. ‘Sorry about this Shinsou, I wish I could help you….I really do.’

He used his strength to pull the other boy around, who tried to free himself but was unable to escape the firm grip of the tentecale. So he continued to rant in an attempt to control the boy. “You have a flashy power so people let you in, but try to force people like me to stay away!-'

Midnight's voice cut him off.

“HITOSHI SHINSOU IS OUT OF BOUNDS! MIDORIYA PROGRESSES TO THE NEXT ROUND!”

The crowd cheered as the brain washing teen scowled, looking down in shame before beginning to walk off. Midoriya looked down at his own marked hand, recalling his childhood and how he'd felt when the abbey had accused him on the news.

“Shinsou! Wait!”

The teen stopped, turning to look back at the greenette with a mix of confusion and barely hidden frustration.

“I….I do know how it feels….I wasn't…..i haven't had my powers for a long tine, not until this year.” The purple haired teen quirked an eyebrow and Midoriya scratched his head. “I was a late bloomer, but I ended uo being harrased over it so much that….well i'm sure you understand.”

The greenette then looked up with a soft smile. “I also know how it feels to be labbelled a villain. You probably didn't see considering what you said but i've been getting harrased by a few people over it recently.”

He walked up to shinsou, who had his hands in his pockets, and laid his marked hand on the boy's shoulder. “What im trying to say is, I get it, and I think you do have what it takes to become a hero.”

That did manage to cause the slightly taller teen to widen his eyes in surprise.

“So long as you don't give up, and keep pushing for the top, you can do it. Never stop because anyone tells you to.” With that the the greenette turned to head back to his waiting room. Behind him he heard sone other general studies students shouting down words in encouragement to the boy. As he descended the steps on the other side, Midoriya smiled as he whispered to himself. “I'm sure i'll see you in class one day.”

‘There goes that plan to throw off Todoroki….oh well, probably wasn't going to work anyway.’

His smile and feeling of victory was short lived however, as he stepped back into the waiting hall. He felt a presence in front of him and looked up, expecting to see his mentor.

Instead it was the creep from before, standing and smiling right at him. His own face quickly turned to a scowl, as his hand ached once more. ‘That’s it! I can only take so much stuff in one day!’

“Hey. Izuku Midoriya right?” The man asked, acting completely innocent as he rubbed his hand together. Midoriya just frowned.

“You're not supposed to be here.” He said it slowly, punctuating each word. The creep's smile dropped and he sighed, sagging his shoulders.

“Man, that’s no fun.” The man said, crossing his arms. “Come on! Humour me!”

“Sir, I-"

“That Far Reach thing, it's awesome. Hell i'd almost call it magical." The man laughed upon saying that and Midoriya clenched his fist. ‘Dammit outsider, why can't we deal with him now? What is he?!’

“I said you’re not supposed to be in here.” Midoriya repeated, unconsciously starting to pour magic into his hand. The creep snarked.

“Oh come on, no need to repeat your-"

“Is there a problem here?” A new deep voice asked and the man paled as Midoriya sighed in relief, seeing All Might towering behind the mystery stranger. “I believe my student already requested you leave, sir.”

“Uh..right…” With that, he ran off, while All Mightv stepped forward, inspecting his successor.

“Are you all right my boy? Fans can always be a little on the insane side…” The hero asmed as he deflated to his regular form and Midoriya nodded with a sigh.

“I'm fine All Might, just caught off guard.” The greenette brushed off his concern, though felt guilty as he did so. ‘That definitely wasn't a fan though.’

“Nice job on that fight my boy! Had me on the edge of my seat. So he was a brain washer? Must of took some serious power of will to break through that!” The blonde laughed as they walked. Midoriya shook his head.

“Actually…no. I….we need to talk about something thar happened.” Midoriya said as he headed for the nurses office.

“Kid? What's the matter?”

“It's about your power….”


	31. Interim: The Matches

 

Midoriya sat upon an empty infirmary bed, while looking up as his mentor who was giving him a confused questioning gaze. They had managed to convince Recovery Girl to use her office to talk while no one was in it.

 

“So One for All is what saved you in there?” Toshinori questioned while scratching his head with a frown.

 

“I think so, it didn’t feel the same as my magic. The world lit up in all these colors and….I saw these kind of shadows….” Midoriya explained as he gently run a finger over his mark. “There were eight of them…in fact I think you were one of them. Maybe they were ghosts?”

 

“I’m a….ghost?” The blonde questioned with a quirked brow. “Considering everything else you’ve taught me about magic so far I’d believe you if you said yes I think.”

 

“Did you ever have any visions like that All Might?” The greenette questioned as he stood up. The skinny man shook his head as he turned and began to pace around. “Like the old users were rushing in to save you?”

 

“I mean….Once…when I was new to the power I did have this….vision of sorts. It’s like a subconscious trace of the users I think, a sign your getting closer to the power becoming your own. It’s most likely just your mind manifesting a sign that you can fight back!”

 

“I…don’t think so…” Midoriya said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “There was something else that happened. I….One of the shadows became a person, a woman, she actually called you out by name-“

 

“Woman?” All Might suddenly stood stiff, before whirling around with a pained look on his face. “My boy, what did she look like?”

 

“Uh..well she was about the same height as you, she had long black hair and wore these really bright yellow gloves along with this bright white cape. The rest of her costume was just some sleeveless black suit of some kind…” Midoriya recalled, finger to his chin. He winced slightly as he did, the entire event making his head hurt just a little.

 

“Holy shit…” All Might muttered as his sunken eyes went wide, before a fist suddenly collided into his injured side, causing him to hunch over as Recovery girl glared at him.

 

“Watch your language in my infirmary!” The nurse reprimanded as the greenette cringed.

 

“I was just surprised…and that hurt!” The older man complained, sounding oddly like a petulant child for a moment before turning his gaze back to Midoriya. “That description…. There’s no doubt that it was a previous user.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“That was my mentor, definitely.” The lanky man muttered, running a hand through his hair as the greenette blinked in shock. “Nana Shimura…..The seventh holder of One for All.”

 

“Wait seriously?!” Midoriya asked as he jumped off the bed with wide eyes. “I mean I thought it was possible but….”

 

“You said it wasn’t one hundred percent one for all though?” The blonde questioned and Midoriya nodded, turning to the man. “So some combination of your magic and our quirk together has dragged out something…new.”

 

“Yeah. I don’t….”

 

Midoriya sighed. He couldn’t say to much yet, what with the Outsider’s warning.

 

“He, the Outsider I mean, he showed up before the match. It wasn’t too much important stuff but he did say something about seeing what One for All and my magic could do together.” He said, scratching his head. “Annoyingly I guess he’s all for fair competition or something because I can’t get anything out of him today, like even more than usual he’s avoiding saying anything.”

 

“Sounds frustrating.” The lanky man nodded and the greenette shrugged, walking to the door. “Leaving?”

 

“It’s going to be on my mind either way, distracting me but we’re not gonna get any answers just staying here probably. Not to mention my friends will probably want me to see their matches.”

 

“Fair point. Remember you should be ready for who you might be fighting next.” The blonde called after him and Midoriya grimaced as he left the room. ‘Right. Todoroki. His match should be coming up next.’

 

He took off into a light jog, trying to make up for lost time as he made his way up to the spectator stands. For just a moment though, he was stopped when another sudden burst of anger overtook him, yet no one seemed to be around to cause it.

 

‘It’s not like the strangers….it’s someone I know…..Todoroki?’

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh! Deku! We saved a seat for you!” Uraraka said while bouncing in her seat upon noticing the boy. He smiled slightly as the class, minus Bakugou all gave him a warm enough welcome.

 

“Nice going against that brain wash dude, that must have been super difficult.” Hagakure commended him while moving about in that animated way onl she was capable of. Ojiro from behind her just gave a thumbs up, which Midoriya returned with a grin.

 

“Quite the turnaround at the end.” Iida said before sighing with a teasing smile of his own. “And you had to wait until the last possible dramatic moment, like always.”

 

The group snickered at that as Midoriya blushed slightly, taking a seat between Uraraka and Jirou. The purple haired girl just gave him a small smile when sat down, yet it seemed to be more than enough to say everything she was thinking.

 

Before they could talk anymore, Present Mic’s voice cut into the air, signalling the start of the match.

 

“FROM CLASS 1-A, HE HAS A SWEET POWER AT THE COST OF SOME REALLY FUNKY LOOKING ELBOWS! IT’S THE HERO COURSES HANTA SERO!”

 

 ‘I’ll want to pay attention as best I can, especially here, though it’s going to be difficult to focus without being distracted by everything that’s going on’. Midoriya thought, leaning over the railing slightly. He grimaced as Todoroki took to the stage and he was once again assaulted by a wave of anger. ‘What happened for it to be this strong? He’s practically radiating it….’

 

“ALSO FROM THE 1-A, HE’S HOT AND HE’S COLD BUT HE WASN’T INDECISIVE ABOUT GETTING INTO THE HERO COURSE, IT’S SHOTO TODOROKI!”

 

In amongst the new rounds of applauding and cheering people were rather loudly discussing the fire and ice teen.

 

“Isn’t that endeavours sons?!”

“The number two hero? No way! He’s gonna win this for sure!”

“I mean, lets not go making hasty assumptions, they all got into U.A.”

 

On the stage, Sero was stretching as he said something, Todoroki glaring straight at him.

 

‘Hopefully it lasts long enough for me to get a few notes before it finishes, Sero should at leas-‘

 

“BEGIN!”

 

Sero immediately threw tape out, wrapping it around the heterochromatic teen and trying to spin him around. Ice shot out from underneath Todoroki’s foot and a moment later, it travelled up faster than Midoriya could track.

 

It certainly didn’t leave his vision though as he gulped. In just a second Todoroki had created a gigantic iceberg that shot out over the stadium and almost took off the greenette’s head in the process. ‘Sweet void, just come at me with a knife if you’re gonna try to kill me-Wait crap, that’s literally what I’m walking into later, isn’t it?’

 

A hand on his shoulder got his attention and he turned to see Jirou looking at him concerned. “Shit dude, you ok?”

 

“Yeah, just had my life flash before my eyes.”

 

“I thought Todoroki of all people would be more careful about this kind of thing.” Yaoyorozu said with a frown, while the marked boy turned to look at his would be murderer, who was freeing Sero now that he had been declared the winner.

 

Once more, emotion washed over him but the anger was but a faint memory in amongst a sea of sadness that was definitely visible of the boy’s face. ‘Todoroki….How can I help you?’

 

* * *

 

 

He really should’ve been focusing on the matches.

 

He WAS focusing on the matches! He totally was!

 

…..Ok he was focusing on who won and not really anything within. The greenette let out an audible groan, leaning back in his chair. Kaminari had lost to the girl from 1-B who had barely beat out Bakugou in the preliminary round due to her quirk being a perfect counter to his.

 

He’d stopped properly paying attention when Kirishima went out next and faced a boy from 1-B with an almost identical quirk that relied on metal instead of rock. They’d gone at each other for ages, as the magic teen lost his mind within the questions that had shown up to him today and ones not yet resolved.

 

_“Who is the stranger? Why can’t I send a pro after him now?”_

_“What was that during the match with shinsou? Did I summon a ghost to save me?”_

_“What’s going on with the abbey investigation? By now they should of found the room, so would he find out what was happening today?”_

That last one was starting to settle more into his mind once he realized. He couldn’t shake the feeling he got that something was going to go wrong regarding.

 

“You ok, Midori?” Hagakure questioned beside him and he nodded, looking up at her where she had taken Iida’s seat. “You’ve been a bit out of it….”

 

“Sorry, just….distracted by something that happened earlier. It’s personal.” He explained away, shaking his head and looking down towards the arena. He had practically completely blacked out during Aoyoma and Mina’s fight but apparently the pink skinned girl ended it quickly. “I’ll do my best not to black out on this one though.”

 

“You better! I doubt Iida or Jirou would be happy to learn you missed their match.” Uraraka said with a teasing laugh. The greenette nodded with a smile of his own.

 

“HE’S THE KIDS WITH ENGINES IN HIS LEGS! FROM 1-A, IT’S TENYA IIDA!”

 

The crowd roared with applauds as the tall teen practically bowed to them all.

 

“ALSO FROM 1-A, WITH HER MUTATED EARLOBES, YOU CAN’T HIDE ANYTHING FROM THIS HEARING HEROINE! IT’S KYOKA JIROU!”

 

The girl stood twirling her earjacks lazily as she stared the blue haired teen down.

 

“Who you rooting for Midori? Either one got more support?” Hagakure asked curiously. The boy shook his head in response as he looked down at his two friends. ‘Speaking completely objectively, iida has more of an advantage than Jirou, so if I had to say who was more likely to win it would have to be Iida…’

 

“There both my friends, Iida was one of my first in a long time and Jirou was my teammate before. I can’t root for one or the other, so I’ll just hope they put up a good fight with each other.” He decided, crossing his arms.

 

“So basically, you want them to beat each other up instead of finsishing it quickly.” Uraraka chimed in, causing the boy to blush.

 

“T-that’s not what I meant Ura-chan!”

 

“BEGIN!”

 

Iida made the first move, rushing across the field and reaching out. He seemed to be trying to push Jirou out but the girl was saved barely by her reaction time as she leapt to the side just enough as one of her Earjacks shot out and wrapped around the blue haired teens legs.

 

‘A trap?’

 

The earjack immediately pulled back with force, using the tall teen’s momentum against him and sending him spinning towards the edge, just in time however he managed to redirect and use the flames from his engine to cancel out the speed he had gained.

 

“She used the same trick you did in practice.” Uraraka muttered. “Guess there’s only so much you can do to stop Iida when he’s using his quirk…”

 

Both earjacks flew at the boy, the first he dodged however the second he wasn’t as fortunate with as it pierced into his arm. He stood straight up as his body seemed to go stiff.

 

‘What the? Is that the same move she used to destroy those one pointers earlier?’

 

The girl the sent her other Earjack at him, grabbing his leg and tugging as she rushed forth. She looked to be trying to just barrel straight into the boy with her full body weight, seeing as the far outclassed her in terms of weight.

 

Unfortunately Iida recovered just in time, managing to grab her as she leapt at him and grab her, using the same trick she tried earlier with his momentum to throw her out of bounds.

 

“JIROU IS OUT OF BOUNDS! IIDA ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!”

 

The crowd cheered and clapped wildly as Iida helped his opponent up. Neither seemed to harbour any Ill-will over it, walking off the stage together.

 

“Well that was quick, not as quick as I expected though.” The greenette muttered under his breathe. “What matches are left?”

 

“Tokoyami and Momo are gonna go toe to toe, then all that’s left is Bakugou vs Uraraka and Kirishima’s rematch.” Hagakure quickly informed and the boy nodded his thanks.

 

‘I wonder….’

 

He rummaged through his pockets, finding his phone and pulling it out. ‘I entirely forgot that the sports festival page has a list of visitors publicly available. I wonder if….’

 

He blanched as he noted there were over one thousand people. ‘Right…..I should have realized that just by looking around. No way I could look up every person on that list and pay attention to the games at the same time.’

 

Sighing the boy let his gaze wander and realized that Uraraka had walked away at some point, in preparation for her match. ‘Maybe….I can help her? It’s something to keep my mind busy at least while I watch.’

 

* * *

 

 

Momo lost, faster than the greenette had expected. He had been expcecting a mostly fair fight with only a slight advantage towards Tokoyami with Yaourozu’s creation needing a moment to form.

 

Unlike what he had expected of a cat and mouse game of dodging and deflection, Dark Shadow forced the girl out of the ring in no time, leaving her looking defeated.

 

“Damn…That’s gotta feel bad.” Ojiro muttered looking on as Hagakure made a noise of agreement. “And I have a bad feeling the next match will be same.”

 

“Right….Bakugou vs Uraraka….I don’t envy her right now.” Asui jumped in as Midoriya stood up. “Where are you going? Ribbit.”

 

“To wish her luck….”

 

* * *

 

 

When he arrived, he found Jirou and Iida had beat him to waiting room. ‘So this is where they were.’

 

“-feel worse?” Came Iida’s voice.

 

“You were both super respectful while still taking each other seriously, while Bakugou is probably just going to want to blow me to kingdom come even after it’s all over.” Uraraka’s answered whatever the question iida asked was as the greenette stepped in, grabbing their attention. “Oh, Deku? Shouldn’t you be watching the matches?”

 

“Not much point really. I keep blacking out and most have ended how I’d predict them to anyways.” The greenette explained, only to meet with concerned stares.

 

“Yeah you were pretty out of it, what was that about anyways?” The brunette questioned and the boy scratched the back of his head.

 

“Just….something I saw while Shinsou was brainwashing me. It’s nothing worth getting into.” He deflected, pulling out his notebook. “As for why I came here, I wanted to wish you luck.”

 

“Yeah, you’re going to be in for one hell of a fight.” Jirou said as she began twirling her earjack around her fingers. Iida placed his hand to his chin as if in thought as he added his own two cents.

 

“Still, he’ll probably hold back because Uraraka’s a girl right?” He asked and immediately was hit by a jack from Jirou.

 

“Wanna elaborate on that prez?”

 

“I just meant he doesn’t seem like the type to acknowledge that any gender can be equal in almost anything!” The blue haired teen expressed as he rubbed his arm.

 

“He won’t hold back.” The greenette put in simply, causing Uraraka to squeak. “He may seem that way but….that’s not quite right. He doesn’t outwardly acknowledge most people because he sees it as admitting weakness in himself, but that also means he’ll never hold back no matter who is opponent is.”

 

“Great…” The zero gravity user said as she stood up.

 

“Ura-chan…..When we first got into U.A, you helped me more than I think you realized. Not just when you saved me from my two falls at the entrance exam but also when we got into U.A proper, you helped me in little ways like building my confidence before fighting Bakugou.” The greenette explained, holding out the book. “Even if it’s something small, I want to try to repay you. It’s not much but I did put together a strategy on how you could face down Kacchan.”

 

“Hey, a plan straight from the most well versed person in Bakugou fighting techniques around. That should definitely be a confidence booster!” Iida said as Jirou nodded along, only for Uraraka to shake her head.

 

“Heh…….you’re too good Deku.” The brunette said with an almost sad smile. “You really are wonderful…. but…I have to refuse.”

 

“Wait, you’re not taking it?” Jirou questioned with a surprised look upon her face, letting her earjack drop out of her hand.

 

“No….Iida said something earlier that…stuck with me. He said that everyone here was rivals, and that he’d do his best to beat you. That’s why….I honestly felt kinda embarrassed then, for myself with how quickly I jumped onto your team. I know it was good from a tactical standpoint but….I feel like I was piggybacking off you at the same time just because I knew you could get through it. That’s why, for my own sake, I want to face this battle myself.”

 

“Ura-chan…”

 

The brunette made her way to the door, though she was visibly shaking. “So…….I’ll see you guys in the finals…..”

 

With that, she left.

 

“Dang….Hope she knows what she’s doing…” Jirou muttered as she walked off. “We should get back to the stands quick before her match starts. Shall we?”

 

“Yes, let’s go.” Iida said as he began to walk. Midoriya paused for a moment to grab his notebook and went to follow behind them, eyes landing on Iida when….

 

_“TENSEI!” Iida’s terrified voice rang out._

_The waiting room was replaced by an Alley where man with a striking resemblance to the greenette’s friend laid, slowly bleeding out as a man with many knives ran off._

Then he was back in the waiting room, Iida and Jirou looking at him oddly.

 

“Dude? You in there?”

 

“H-huh? What?” He questioned as he shook his head, looking between them. The two shared a look of concern at that.

 

“You blacked out again. You sure you’re ok?” Jirou questioned and the greenette shook his head, pulling out his phone.

 

“I…need to go see ectoplasm.” He said, giving Iida the phone. “Please, I don’t want to miss her match so record for me in case I miss anything.”

 

“Uh…right.”

 

With that, the teen took off before they could question him anymore. As he hurried along to the teacher’s stands he recalled the moment just before Midnight announced Bakugou would announce the student pledge.

 

‘Please don’t be what I think you are….’


	32. Premonition

Midoriya’s footsteps echoed in the thin hallway as he ran, running at speeds he was sure only Iida could beat. It didn’t take him long at all as he hopped up entire sets of stairs until he was just at the entrance to the teachers stand where thirteen was just about to enter until they spotted him.

 

“Midoriya? What are you doing up here?” The rescue hero questioned, turning to face him. Midoriya took a second to sort himself before he answered.

 

“I need to speak with Ectoplasm and Nezu as soon as possible. Please, he told me to come find him immediately if I suspected I developed-“

 

“-A new power.” Thirteen finished, and cocked their head seemingly in understanding. “Very well, wait here just a moment. Is there a particular reason you requested the principal as well?”

 

“…I hope I’m wrong but if the power is what I think it is….Someone might be in danger…” Thirteen seemed to make a noise of confusion at that but didn’t ask more, quickly entering into the stands to get the requested teachers. A few moments later they stepped out, the principal with a frown upon his face.

 

“Mister Midoriya? What’s this about someone being in danger?” The short animal hybrid asked, with his arms crossed. “And what of this new power Thirteen just mentioned?”

 

“If it’s dangerous we’ll have to take you out the competition.” Ectoplasm warned, as he closed the door behind him. “And of course, set up a training session.”

 

“I don’t….I don’t think that will be possible.” Midoriya said as he scratched his head. “Actually….I think it will be better if we go to the waiting room it happened in, just in case.”

 

The principal and maths teacher looked between each other before nodding and following the boy, who was doing his best to recall every detail that had occurred in both visions.

 

~~~

 

 

It only took them a couple minutes to get back down to the room, which Iida and Jirou had already left. Midoriya took the same spot he had stood at before and had the teachers stand in the places his friends had when it occurred.

 

“So, what exactly is this power you’re so worried about?” Thirteen asked, as she stood at the door, in place of Uraraka.

“…Premonition I think.” Midoriya admitted as he took a breath, Ectoplasm in front of him taking place of Iida. “After I had finished saying good luck to Uraraka, she walked off and the rest of us where about to go back when…my vision changed.”

 

“You’re vision changed?” Ectoplasm parroted curiously, and Thirteen hummed.

 

“Premonition….Premonition…Wait isn’t that seeing the future?!” The rescue hero exclaimed and Nezu nodded.

 

“Yes, it is. An incredibly rare quirk to find anywhere in the world. I once read a report that estimated there was only two or three per continent.” Nezu said with a grave tone. “Midoriya, I need you to tell us everything you saw exactly.”

 

“Right, well I looked up at Iida as we went to walk away and as soon as my eyes landed on him, I wasn’t in the changing room anymore. I saw this alleyway and a man on the floor who looked a lot like Iida but….His engines were in his arms.” Midoriya explained and the cloning pro nodded along while Nezu seemed to be writing something down in a notepad, which the greenette failed to notice until now. ‘Was that just in a pocket or something?’ “Well, I think he was bleeding out, some kind of liquid was pouring out from beneath him and I saw another man running away with a bunch of knives on his person.”

 

“You think?” The animal pro questioned. “You’re not sure?”

 

“Not exactly, it’s like when I was having the vision the world was almost in black and white. There was a light saturation to it all but it was almost non-existent.” The marked teen explained as he rubbed his hand over the mark. “But, the worst thing, that really is setting me so on edge above it all. I heard Iida…”

 

“You heard him?”

 

“Yeah, and I don’t mean in the real world. In the vision, he wasn’t there but I could hear him screaming as if terrified. All he said was ‘Tensei’ though.” Midoriya finished explaining and the principals fur seemed to somehow go pale, despite it’s already white colouring.

 

“This is incredibly worrying. Mister Midoriya, I am not in the habit of sharing student’s personal details but you must know that your friend has a brother.” Nezu said and Midoriya’s eyes went wide as he remembered Iida talking about him.

 

“N…No….” He muttered, as he looked down. The principal let out a noise of concern. “I…I didn’t mention anything to Iida. I thought I should come to you first just in case but…”

 

“It was a smart decision. I will send out a warning immediately, you must excuse me.” Nezu said as he turned to walk away. “Thirteen, please help me prepare for the possibility of having to inform young Iida about this.”

 

“Yes sir.” The space themed hero said solemnly, following him.

 

“Midoriya.” Ectoplasm spoke in a serious tone, turning to face the boy. “Was there any other moments like this at all? Even one?”

 

“…I think so.” The greenette admitted, taking a seat and clenching his hands. “It was just before the obstacle course started, when Midnight was going to announce who would say the pledge. For some reason, I kept seeing her going between my name and Kacchan’s before she finally actually announced who was going to say it. I didn’t say anything because I wrote it off as nerves initially.”

 

“I understand, I’d likely do the same.” Ectoplasm said as he took a seat beside the boy. “Now, I absolutely must implore you to try to think of anything that could possibly trigger it, at all.”

 

“I…I dunno…” Midoriya admitted as he looked around, before closing his eyes. “There was no real trigger, either time. It just sort of happened.”

 

 **“Truly, one of the worst annoyances of magic. Fluctuation…”** An all too familiar voice began to speak, causing Midoriya’s eyes to shoot open. Ectoplasm was now replaced by a statue of himself and the room’s roof had exploded out into the void. **“I feel I must apologise for the amount of things that have occurred today. While most certainly interesting, it is also likely maddening to a mortal mind. Truly it seems as though this day is practically cursed for you.”**

 

 “Outsider?” Midoriya questioned, looking up to see the god standing on the edge of the room, looking out to the distance. “Wait what do you mean fluctuation?”

 

 **“You were not wrong to say you now have Premonition, though calling it a new power would not be wholly accurate.”** The black eyed deity explained as he suddenly disappeared and reappeared in a flurry of shard beside the boy in the seat across from him. “ **Tell me Izuku, you said you had seen it through a vision, no?**

“Well yeah…” Midoriya confirmed before he realized where the god was going with his little explanation. “I…already have a vision based power.”

 

“ **Exactly.”** The outsider nodded, waving his hand and summoning the statue of Emily Kaldwin he had used in a previous visit. “ **Dark vision is really quite common for my marked to develop. One known common development to this power has been incredibly mild premonition. I do mean mild as well, as they could only see something of a smoke trail indicating where one would walk.”**

 

“That sounds…useful.” Midoriya commented, unsure what else to say.

 

“ **Yes, I’d imagine it is. Now, if you’ll recall you have quite powerful magic, more than the average marked, you have this in yours already.”**  The god explained and smiled that creepy unnatural smile of his when a questioning look crossed the teenagers face. **“Right, you have yet to realise. Well, seeing as it was simply a development and nothing brand new, I’d imagine there would have been no fanfare when it began. You should give it a try when you return. Now as for what has you troubled.”**

“Right…That was more than just a smoke trail.”

 

 **“Quite a bit more.”** The outsider nodded and looked towards the door. “ **The reason this one keep playing up on its own is actually my fault.”**

**“Huh?”**

**“The reality of this power is not as you have seen it. The first time it happened was the simple necessary development of it, a test of sorts you could say. Remember I told you that many time lines exist?”** The god questioned and Midoriya nodded. “ **You are essentially looking through a timeline that is similar to this one, as similar as possible. You were looking pretty much side by side into an incredibly similar timeline where you could have been chosen as a test.”**

“Ok, I suppose that makes sense.” The greenette said as he put he crossed his arms. “But…what about the other one? Has that happened yet?”

 

“ **…I’m afraid it’s in progress right now.”** The deity said, disappearing once more. The boy felt a knot form in his stomach at that revelation. “ **But thanks to your quick response, we might see a happier ending then that timeline would. Those two premonitions, you could think of them as troubleshooting the power. From now on, you can choose the premonitions.”**

“I can...Wait what do you mean I can choose?”

 

 **“Far Reach is not the only power you have gained or will gain with the basis of changing levels of power.”** The outsider said as the room started repairing itself. “ **Keep that in mind and don’t be afraid to experiment going forward. Now, I think it’s time I shut up, it’s no fun giving you all the answers.”**

“Wait-“ Too late, he blinked and suddenly Ectoplasm moved once more.

 

“No trigger huh?” Ectoplasm repeated what Midoriya had said just before the unexpected visit. “No idea at all?”

 

“Uh….” Midoriya did his best not to audibly groan. ‘God dammit, Outsider….or….Outsider dammit Outsider? Not the time!’ “Well, I mean it was a vision right? So I was thinking…maybe it’s related to Dark Vision?”

 

“Perhaps….” Ectoplasm muttered as he stood up. “Well, then I have a simple question for you. I don’t want to pull you from this competition with how close you are to the end if it’s not necessary, so tell me…Do you think it will be an issue going forward today?”

 

“I…no sir.” Midoriya answered, standing up himself. “If at all possible, I’d like to keep participating in the tournament.”

 

“Ok then.” The cloning pro nodded before turning and walking away. “Come to me immediately if you have another vision.”

 

With that, the pro left Midoriya alone. After a moment of just trying to clear his head the boy got up himself and made his way to the opening to the arena.

 

Unfortunately by the time he got there, it was too late.

 

“OCHACO URARAKA IS UNCONCIOUS. KATSUKI BAKUGOU WINS!”

 

“Dammit.” He muttered under his breath as two medical robots rushed past him. Looking at the stage he cringed at how destroyed it looked.

 

“ **While your eyes are still on them Izuku, now would be a good time to test what I told you about. I’ll allow you to have something of a reverse premonition seeing as I dragged you away from it in the first place.”**

He shuddered at the voice in his head. It was just creepy having a god inside his head.

 

He obliged though and the world became tinted in sepia, the people becoming bright silhouettes. He noticed Bakugou now had a smoke trail leading to the stage entrance on the opposite side while Uraraka had no trail.

 

‘Well…It seems unlikely reducing the magic charge would create a proper premonition so…’

 

He took in a breath as he felt magic course through him into his hand and he focused his attention entirely on Bakugou.

 

_Explosion after explosion went off_

_Smoke covered Uraraka as she moved to attack._

_Rocks rained from above._

_She fainted._

 

With that, Midoriya’s regular vision suddenly returned and he looked up in surprise. ‘She went with an attack like that? That’s…really clever…’

 

“WELL SPORTS FANS! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE FIRST SETS OF ROUNDS! ALL THAT’S LEFT IS FOR THAT MANLY TIE BREAKER BETWEEN EJIROU KIRISHIMA AND TETSUTETSU TESTSUTETSU!” Present Mic announced and Midoriya sighed as he added his own commentary on top.

 

“And after that….Izuku faces Todoroki…”

 

Ice versus a tentacle. He’d be lying if he said he liked his chances overall, still he had to try.

 

‘I just hope I can help him somehow.’

 

~~~ 

 

The rematch between the two powerhouses that were 1-A’s Kirishima and 1-B’s Tetsutetsu didn’t last that long, being decided by a game of arm wrestling. In the Kirishima proved to be just ever so slightly stronger, and managed to pull off a victory.

 

After that, the red head had offered the steel quirk user a hand up, much to Midnight’s delight. As the two walked off, Midoriya did his best to steel his nerves.

 

He walked out onto the field and saw Todoroki entering from the opposite side, seemingly already breathing cold air. ‘Guess he’s prepared then…’

 

“NEXT UP, IT’S TIME FOR OUR FIRST TWO RETURNING CONTESTANTS!” Mic announced, causing the crowd to roar with cheers and applause. “FIRST, HE’S STRONG AS A BLIZZARD AND HAS THE PASSION OF RAGING FLAME, ITS 1-A’s SHOTO TODOROKI!”

 

Said teen seemed to flinch at the flame line. Midoriya sighed as he felt the sadness and anger wash over him.

 

“ALSO RETURNING FROM 1-A, IT SEEMS THIS KIDS NEVER RUNS OUT OF SURPRISES TO THROW AT US, IT’S IZUKU MIDORIYA!”

 

He gulped as he stared down the teen before him, hand glowing in anticipation. ‘He’s probably going to go for a barrage first. Time to really test out just how good Far Lance is I guess…’

 

“BEGIN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm quite excited! It's my birthday tomorrow and we're purchasing a laptop for it. This means in future i'll be able to write at almost all times so hopefully that will also mean there will be less gaps between uploads in future and more consistency!
> 
> Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	33. Izuku vs Todoroki

“BEGIN!”

In an instant, a barrage of ice shot out at the marked greenette and he took a quick breathe. ‘Now or never!’

Far Reach burst to life around his hand and he lifted it up in a slicing motion, as the tentacle sharpened and tore through the ice, pieces of it flying over the boys head. He couldn't let up as he continued slicing, preventing it from putting him out until finally it stopped and dropped to the floor, a giant obstacle separating the two fighters. “Ok, so I can slice through...that's good to know.’

“Impressive move, but it'll mean nothing in a moment.” Todoroki said with air of finality and the air got even colder as multiple small cracking noises filled Midoriya's ears. ‘The floor! Now the fight really starts!’

Without missing a beat he leapt into the air and grabbed atop the ice obstacle the hetreochromatic teen had created, sliding across the top to his opponent.

“WELL TO BE HONEST WITH YOU SPORTS FANS, THIS FIGHT IS ALREADY GOING ON LONGER THAN I EXPECTED!”

‘Oh gee, thanks Mic!’ The marked fighter thought annoyed as he leapt to the side, avoiding a new barrage of ice Todoroki sent out. The giant cluster of ice somehow turned and chased after him, starting to form on his though. “I don't think so!”

He sliced straight through then connected to the side, fling himself around and atop the structure, sliding down to Todoroki once more. Then, the fire and ice quirk wielder smiled the faintest smile. “Thanks for getting into position, Midoriya. This is almost to easy.”

Yeah, he was in the exact position Todoroki could benefit most from, at least from an outsider's perspective but from the greenette's perspective it was actually the best way to counter-act his opponent. The marked teen noticed that Todoroki’s arm was starting to get covered in ice, and it was shaking. ‘I knew it...Trickery isn't going to do much for me this time so I need to rely on my skills and knowledge. He knows Endeavour is watching, so he's refusing to melt the ice or counteract his drawbacks-'

Another barrage of ice came straight at him. He didn't bother to dodge, putting his faith in his magic and shoving Far Lance in front of him. The ice was sliced down the middle as he slid down, and made sure to keep channelling power into it to keep that up. ‘So long as he won't get rid of his ice, I'm just going to end up having more and more of an advantage.’

Finally he was right on top of Todoroki and he slammed his Lance into the ground, letting his momentum carry his legs forth and kicking the boy in the stomach. Todoroki was launched back as Midoriya was rooted to the spot. It wasn't enough to get the ice teen out though, as he was caught by a wall of ice. “Perhaps...I underestimated that tentacle power. No matter.”

CRACK

This one moved faster than any of his other attacks. It was the same move that captured Sero and nearly took of the greenette's head. As that memory went through his head, and he remembered why Todoroki was refusing to use his full power, an idea came to mind.

The fire and Ice teen relaxed and Midnight moved to announce the match as over, assuming it to be the same situation as last time. “IZUKU MIDORIYA-

“Heh...hehehehe.....” Midoriya laughed as he ignored the chills in his body, hand starting to glow with power. He did wince however as his leg seemed to complain.

“What are you-" Todoroki's eyes widened as the ice started to crack and all of a sudden the boy quite literally punched and sliced his way out. “What?!”

“A popular form....of magic....is escape artistry.” Midoriya said as he limped forward, needing just a moment to catch his breathe. His opponent didn't react, seemingly caught off guard by something else. Midoriya looked up with a shaky shit-eating grin. “So it would be a bad look if i couldn't pull it off.”

“Your leg...” Midnight whispered and the boy took a moment to inspect it. Then he let out a noise of realization as he saw an icicle that had pierced straight through him, barely missing his bones. Despite it, his smile grew a little wider and he grabbed hold of it. “Wait no you shouldn't-"

Too late, he pulled the fragment out and lifted it up to eye level, staring at Todoroki who was finally snapping back into the fight. ‘Guess no one has ever got out of it before or something.’ “See this Todoroki?”

Then, he threw it straight at the ground with all the strength he could muster, shattering it into pieces and getting blood on more of the arena. “Shattered ice and drops of blood. That's all this fight will devolve into at this rate.”

“You...” Todoroki started to growl, seeming to understand where the greenette was going with this. “Don't you dare-"

“If you won't come at me with a hundred percent then you'll never win! You haven't even scratched me yet!” The greenette screamed as he threw his hand out, the tentacle bursting into those little tendrils and grabbing all four of the hetrochromatic teens limbs. He tried to lift him into the air for a direct strike but before he could a wall of ice shot out and hit him in the stomach, knocking him into the wall of the previous barrage.

There was a massive spike in anger that the marked teen felt without even focusing.

“You bastard! Is this your idea of a joke? Did my father put you up to this?!” Todoroki snarled as he rushed forth, abandoning his ice in his anger in favour of a direct hit. A stupid, impulsive move he'd normally never make. “Like i'd ever use that bastards power and hurt people!”

The fist came down, and Midoriya grabbed it. The second those words left Todoroki's mouth, he was certain his idea could work. He head-butted the teen in the stomach before grabbing him with Far Reach and flinging him back across the ring, scaling the ice behind to avoid the floor that had began to freeze.

There gazes met again and Midoriya glared. “If you don't want to hurt others, then you've already failed.”

He sprinted forth, Far Lance forming again and cutting the ice Todoroki launched to stop him. He was upon the ice user and punched him in the face. “At the USJ, Hagakure never would of had frostbite if you hadn't froze her.”

Guilt started pouring atop the anger. Midoriya winced, not wanting to be harsh yet knowing he needed to be honest.

A pillar of ice burst out the ground, and Midoriya actually let his marked hand be frozen, using it to lift his body and kick Todoroki away, before shattering it by forming Far Lance. “You nearly took my head off earlier because you were angry, and my legs just another injury because of that anger.”

“S-shut UP!” Todoroki commanded, blocking the next punch and hitting the greenette in the face. “YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!”

Far Reach shot out and Midoriya could almost laugh. ‘Really? I'm one of the only people who really know.’ “You don't know Todoroki. You could have used your fire at the USJ and not hurt Hagakure, you could of burned Sero's tape and not nearly killed me.”

One last strike, right to the gut. Todoroki rolled to the edge of the arena and stood up, glaring back with unbridled fury, masked only by the growing waves of guilt. “IF I HAD HELD BACK, IF I REFUSED TO USE MY POWERS DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? INNOCENT PEOPLE WOULD BE DEAD! NO ONE WHO HOLDS BACK DESERVES TO WIN, NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION!”

So much ice, enough that the magic teen had no way to slice it away launched at him, and Todoroki’s cold yet shaky voice came through. ‘It's...it's working i think.’ “I Won't.....i just need to do better....I WON'T LET HIS QUIRK HURT ANYONE IN MY BODY.”

There was so much fear, hidden beneath those words....

“IT NEVER HAS, IT NEVER WILL YOU IDIOT!” The greenette shouted as he launched himself and flipped over the ice. “IT CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S YOURS! YOUR POWER, NOT HIS!”

The fire and ice teen froze up, as Midoriya sprinted at him. His eyes were shaky and wobbling and he seemed almost....vacant. Midoriya almost worried he's shut down completely, then just a few words escaped the teens lips. “...You still want to be a hero...”

Flames licked at the boys face and Midoriya's eyes widened. Then he exploded into an inferno. The fire flew to the side and Todoroki's face came into view.

And he smiled. Midoriya returned it without hesitation.

“YESSSS SHOUTO! HAVE YOU FINALLY-" ‘Holy crap Endeavour can shout.’

“You're helping your opponent.” The fire and ice teen said as he started to move both his hands. Midoriya's own smile faltered slightly. ‘Oh yeah crap, we're still fighting!’ “Now who's screwing around?!”

Suddenly, Midoriya was very glad he hadn't used One for All, if he had he likely would of been too full of adrenaline and panic to realize exactly what was happening. Todoroki was now heating up a rapidly cooled area. ‘Sweet void no!’

He rushed forth, intent to stop it quickly as possible. Midnight mistook it for an attack and Cementoss started creating obstacles between them as Todoroki began his last attack.

“NO DON'T!

Fwish!

Too late. The last thing Midoriya did was shoot out Far Reach, and felt it connect with something.

BOOM!

 ~~~~

Midoriya blacked out following the explosion. One could hardly blame the teen, he took it straight to the face. The only one likely worse off would be Todoroki at the explosions epicentre.

He looked around as his vision came to and realized he'd only been out for a moment. He felt grass beneath him and a wall at his back.

He was out of bounds. He looked down, following his now limp Far Reach as it slowly retracted....

“IT'S A TIE!”

It had connected to Todoroki. They had gone out together.

He let out a sigh and collapsed. The explosion came back to mind and he slowly trailed a finger across his face.

_BOOM_

For some reason, though he had no idea what, it brought tears to eyes. The last thing the stadium saw as they were escorted away was Midoriya crying his eyes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God i feel so nervous no matter how i write this chapter, so i hope this is good enough.


	34. Warlock

"Well....that was embrassing." Midoriya groaned as he rubbed his neck, sitting up in the infirmary bed, ignoring the sound of presumably Kirishima and Bakugou coming from the stadium. “Thanks for letting me….you know.”

 

“It’s fine, Midoriya. We all have our limits and you’ve been through a lot even before the festival.” Recovery girl waved her hand flippantly as she wrote something down, All Might pretending to be her assistant in case Todoroki awoke. The heterochromatic teen had knocked himself out, and having now been on the other side of it, he felt bad for how often he passed out in front of everyone else. “You both just need rest, him a little more so than you. I was watching through a camera. I don’t normally comment on matches but, well done for lasting so long despite your power match up.”

 

“Thanks.” Midoriya said as he hopped off the bed, ignoring the pain in his hand and the sting in his eyes. “So, what exactly is going to happen now?”

 

“Well my boy, likely just another arm wrestling competition. It simplifies the process massively and is the most….for lack of a better word, fair way to determine who should go through.” Toshinori explained as he pointed out a typo in the nurse’s paperwork. “That was….quite the spectale, young Midoriya.”

 

“Yeah….I’m just glad it payed off in the end….” The greenette shrugged as he made his way to the exit. “I’m gonna go watch the matches while we wait. I need to go talk to Uraraka as well.”

 

“You do that.” Recovery girl agreed, shooing him away. He was almost out the door when…

 

“Midor…iya….” The marked boy blinked in surprise, turning to see Todoroki coming to. He seemed dazed, as he looked around then realization crossed his face. “Did i…lose?”

 

“No kid, it’s a tie. You need to get some rest first, lay back down.” The nurse chided, hopping over to him. Before he obliged, he turned to the greenette.

 

“Midoriya…..Thank you….and….I’m sorry…..”

 

“…Thank you…”

 

* * *

 

 

“MIDORI!”

 

Hagakure shouted with worry as he walked into the viewing stand, immediately being surrounded by his friends. Jirou, Urakra and said invisible girl in particular seemed to get right in his personal space.

 

“Are you ok, dude?! I felt that explosion from here!” Jirou exclaimed, holding the other two girls back a bit so he could breathe, something he was very thankful for.

 

“Yeah, all I saw was smoke then you were both on the ground outside.” Urarka mimed with her hands the event as she thought they must of happened while Hagkaure, as animated as ever freaked out.

 

“And what happened after?! I mean I know it’s you but even you wouldn’t just start crying because of a tie.” The invisible girl exclaimed and the boy shook his head. ‘Wait does that mean you think I would cry at a loss? Phrasing Hagakure, phrasing.’

 

“Can i…sit down first?” He asked nervously and they all looked among themselves before practically pulling him to his seat. He sighed as he sat down, Uraraka and Iida on one side, Jirou and Hagakure on the other. “The crying…I honestly don’t know what that was about to be honest….it just kind of….happened. Still, me and Todoroki are fine, we just need to recover a bit before we do the tie breaker.”

 

“Makes sense.” Iida nodded and Midoriya frowned as he recalled what happened last time he talked to the teen, then he remembered what it had interrupted and he turned to his best friend.

 

“Oh, by the way Uraraka, I’m so so sorry about you’re match.”

 

“Oh, don’t sweat it! Just means I have to try harder next time right?!” The girl said determined and with a confident smile. Midoriya frowned as the disappointment and sadness she tried to hide flowed through him. Without a though, he leaned in and whispered a single word.

 

“Empath.”

                             

“O-oh yeah.” She deflated slightly at that, and the greenette pulled her into a side hug, as it just seemed like the right thing to do. She didn’t complain. “Ok maybe im a little upset…Wait….how do you know about my match?! You shouldn’t have seen it yet!”

 

He got everyone staring at him after that and he scratched the back of his neck. “Same reason I missed it in the first place. New…ish power.”

 

“Oh? What is it?!” Mina suddenly cut in excitedly, one of the most enthralled by the boy’s odd power.

 

“I…not to be annoying but….I don’t think I should tell you guys yet, just….waiting on the teachers to check something first.” He said vaguely, really not wanting to slip up and reveal what he’d seen to Iida. The pink skinned girl groaned but everyone respected his choice. “So….what’s happening for matches?”

 

“Well, Kirishima and Bakugou are going at it right now obviously. I….kinda got my butt kicked by Tokoyami…” Mina started explaining with a pout, andMidoriya realized said boy was nowhere in the spectator stand. “Then Iida’s gonna be fighting that Shiozaki girl next. After that, depending on whoever wins it will be Iida vs you or Todoroki.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Speaking of, Midoriya.” The blue haired teen spoke up and Midoriya turned to face him with a quirked brow. “When I was on Todoroki’s cavalry team…he said something to me. He ‘never uses his left side in battle’. To get him to break that rule….You truly are a force to be reckoned with.”

 

Midoriya frowned. ‘More like endeavour needs to find out what it’s like to be on the receiving end of One for All…’

 

* * *

 

 

Bakugou won against Kirishima with ease, though Midoriya struggled to watch the match more and more as it continued. He frowned as he considered that as well. ‘Weird….normally smoke sets me off but….why didn’t it happen before?’

 

Somehow he doubted he’d get answers to that one anytime soon, and just waited on the red head boy to come back to give him some words of encouragement after his loss. Bakugou probably wouldn’t even come back to the stands anytime soon.

 

When he did, the hardening boy at least didn’t seem to put out by his loss thankfully, accepting it with a fair amount of grace.

 

Iida’s match passed in no time, Shiozaki’s reaction time too slow to compare to the boy’s increased speed. She was pretty much just shoved out the ring, and now once more Izuku found himself standing in the ring, Todoroki across from him

 

This time a table was set up and the two took their seats, ready to begin.

 

“Hey Todoroki?” Midoriya started while Present Mic gave some commentary in the background. The fire and ice teen looked up with concflicted eyes and Midoriya felt his indecisiveness and confusion shine through.

 

“Get ready!”

 

“I know you’re probably feeling a little…mixed right now, but no one can take away the fact that you and Endeavour are not the same person. I can only guess he let his hate of All Might consume him, so are you going to let your hate of your father consume you?”

 

There was a surpised pase from the hetreochromatic teen before he smiled.

 

“Begin!”

 

And the boy set his left fist on the table, which Midoriya grabbed onto and began to push, noting it to be warm. He couldn’t be happier about the results.

 

The two struggled, though Midoriya was mostly keeping it going to take time to think. Thanks to his mark, if he really wanted to he could take his opponent straight through the table most likely. Of course, his hand just had to ache.

 

He looked up, past his opponent and into the hallway in the stadium, only to see the man from before, looking at him with a grin and twisting an ornate knife, before slipping away into the darkness. ‘What….’

 

He knew he could win the competition. All Might wanted him to succeed, to show the world who he was…

 

But…He needed to solve this issue, as soon as possible…

 

**_“Follow whatever course of action you wish too, my dear Izuku. Either way, only you can stop him. Do what you will.”_ **

****

He sighed under his breathe, slowly but surely letting the boy in front of him get the upper hand, his own getting closer and closer to the table. ‘God dammit…just….sometimes I hate everything about magic….’

 

Who he was, was a hero in training, who wanted to help others.

 

Who he also was though, was a witch.

 

Not an evil one of course, but a good witch who helped others. That’s how he was happy to characterize himself as now. Plus witch was more dramtic and themed than ‘Marked’.

 

And if he was going to be a witch, he had to be ready to sacrifice some other things. He finally let the last of his strength go. Todoroki smashed his hand into the table and the arena exploded into cheers.

 

“TODOROKI WINS!”

 

Without a word, Midoriya stood up and began to walk away.

 

“Uh…Midoriya?” Todoroki questioned and the greenette grinned, looking back at him.

 

“Congratulations Todoroki. Just….don’t go easy on Bakugou, for me ok?” He laughed, hopping down the entire stair set. “And remember what I said, ok?”

 

“Right….”

 

With that, Midoriya disappeared into the darkness of the hall and took off into a sprint, grin dropping into a frown. ‘Now to finally deal with this guy. I swear Outsider this better be worth it.’

 

He passed room after room, constantly flicking on and off his dark vision. His hand aches more and more, proving as an effective if irriating guide.

 

Finally, he happened upon the prep room from earlier. The world once more became coated in sepia and just through the door, there stood the man’s glowing figure. ‘Shouldn’t just go straight in, probably a bad idea.’

 

**“Izuku, one thing you must know before you fight him, no matter what you do you can not let that knife touch you!”**

‘Knife? Got it and good to finally know what he is, anything else?’

 

“ **If you lose against a warlock of all things, I will be very upset with you.”**

The boy shuddered. He did not want a god mad at him, though why he would be Midoriya had no idea. He utilized the building’s artctcture, leaping up to a vent above and crawling inside.

 

His body could just barely fit with a crouch and he quickly found himself climbing out, hoping onto beams just above the warlock, who was pre-occupied toying with the knife in his grasp. ‘If this guy is anything like a demon, One for All is worthless even if I could use it, no one else around so no Domino. Only got Far Reach and I guess premonition.’

 

As that thought crossed his mind, he pooled magic into his hand and used it on the warlock.

 

_He finally grew bored off toying with the knife. He turned to the right._

_He walked to the table. He turned and spotted Izuku_

The world came back to normal and Midoriya immediately noticed the man was already walking towards the table in his vision. ‘Show time!’

 

He leapt forth, landing behind the warlock and the black haired villain turned at the clattering, only to take Far Reach to the face as if like a whip.

 

“Ahh! You little-“ The man turned and lurched forth, knife in hand. Midoriya hopped back, making the tentecale burst into tendrils and hold each of the man’s limbs back, one trying to grab at the knife. Then he smiled. “Nice try.”

 

“What-AHH!” The greenette barely rolled out the way of a fireball that launched from the man’s hand. “Dude, I may be on fire with fighting but that doesn’t mean you should actually set me alight!”

 

“That tentecale is mine!” The warlock exclaimed as he suddenly disappeared. Midoriya’s eyes widened as he felt a presence behind him and instictintevly ducked, turning around to see the man had swung at him. ‘Crap, he can teleport?!’ “Blinking, good luck keeping up!”

 

“Not sucking!” Midoriya snarked back, wrapping the man in his tentecale and throwing him into the air. “Good luck keeping up!”

 

The warlock let out a growl as he blinked again, dropping beside a table and seemingly used a form of telekinesis to throw a mug at the marked teen.

 

“That’s not what mugging means man!” The greenette smiled nervously as he grabbed the cup and, as the warlock blinked behind him again. This time the boy whipped around and smashed the mug into the man’s face, cauing him to stagger. ‘Oh hey that actually worked…’

 

‘ **The knife, Izuku!’**

The greenette charged forth, summoning his Far Lance one last time and lunging at the man. Blade meet tentecale and the two resitred each other suprisngly well, yet Midoriya was ready to end it now, kicking right into the villains chest and throwing him back against the wall.

 

“AHH!” The man cried out as he fell to the floor, twitching and spasing. ‘Crap…kinda overdid it there…now lets see…’

 

He picked up the knife and ran his finger along the the edge, admiring the gold ornate design and the curved handle. ‘It’s pretty cool looking…and I guess…’

 

_“That tentecale is mine”_

_“Don’t let the knife touch you!”_

So that’s what he was doing. He walked forward, standing above the man he’d just defeated, almost disappointed by the result. He flipped the knife around into his grasp. “Outsider?”

 

**_“Yes Izuku, it is exactly as you suspect. I will explain when you can ‘rest’ but for now, you must deal with those stolen powers. It’s as you would expect, do no worry.”_ **

****

‘I hope you’re right…’

 

And with that, the boy plunged the knife into the man’s arm, causing it to glow bright yellow before settling down. He pulled it back out and threw it to the ground, stabbing into it with his Far Lance and snapping it in two.

 

A moment later, the pieces disappeared into a haze of fuzz. With that, the greenette sighed as he took out his phone and went through his contacts, finding a certain number.

 

“All Might? Magic emergency…..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! Exciting news, at least for people like me.
> 
> We are only 8 pages away from 500 pages! Which means we'll likely pass it next chapter, i wish i could get it exact so we have 500 pages for 35 chapters but sadly i'm shit at planning.


	35. The end of the sports festival

“You know, you're incredibly lucky the camera in here's on the fritz, young Midoriya.” Toshinori deadpanned as stood over the warlock's unconscious body, glaring lightly at his successor. “Why exactly did you stab an unconscious man anyways, even if he was a bad guy like you say?”

“God told me to do it.” The greenette said with a straight face, drumming his fingers against the table as he inspected the remaining pieces of the knife. It no longer seemed to possess any trace of magic, nor value now the magic teen was done with it.

“You realize how that sounds right, my boy?” The blonde questioned, pinching the bridge of his nose while Midoriya stood up, turning to face him with far to amused a grin.

“Which is exactly why i said it like that, only you'll believe it. In all seriousness though, if i'm not mistaken from what I've heard from the Outsider, he was somehow using this knife to extract powers for himself. At least, that's the best theory i got.” He explained, tracing his fingers over his mark absent-mindedly, failing to notice his mentor visibly paling at the idea. “So obviously couldn't let him keep that, figured i'd just reverse the process.”

“S-so he was here for your powers then?” The lanky pro questioned as he looked for any identification on the man. “Why didn't you come get me or another teacher? I understand magic is pretty much solely your territory, I can accept that but this man is mortal, you broke the rules and risked your life. I hope you had good reason to...”

“If god literally told you that telling anyone about the person you thought might be trying to kill someone, what would you do?”

“Get checked into a mental hospital.”

“...Touche, but you get my point.”

“Yeah, I do.” Toshinori groaned, finding nothing like what he was looking for and pulling away. “It's just frustrating to be in a situation like this my boy. Either we apprehend him now, and you will be in serious trouble as a result with no way to defend your actions or we let him go despite what he has done.”

“Wait but Nezu knows about the outsider, doesn't he?” The teen questioned and the blonde nodded.

“He does, but he isn't the issue. God told me to do it isn't a valid excuse in court you know.”

“Oh right. Well i guess we let him go with a warning. Not like he's actually much of a threat anyways.” Midoriya shrugged, sounding surprisingly unconcerned. “Chances are he isn't going to be able to pull this stunt again anyways.”

“You are...surprisingly non-chalant about this. With what happened at the USJ i would of thought you would of had more of a...reaction to this..” The lanky hero observed and the marked boy shuddered violently.

“Don't remind me, that still....just ugh...” He shook his head and took a breath before explaining. “It's just...after everything that's happened since then, aNomu, the demon, the abbey, the League...”

He gestured to the unconscious body, who seemingly was starting to stir. “Well....he's more like a thug than anything else. Still not sure one hundred percent why the outsider was so certain he was so powerful. Either way, it makes it kind of hard to see him as a massive threat.”

“I think i get what you mean.” The blonde said with a slightly annoyed sigh. The warlock began to stand up and the blonde hulked up quickly. “So, you thought you could attack one of my students without consequence?”

The villain paled as he quickly tried to scurry back, colliding with the wall behind him. “S-stay back! Y-you don't know w-who you're m-messing with.”

“Dude.” Midoriya cut in, showing him the destroyed blade. “Just give it up.”

“I....I.....I SURRENDER!” He shouted, curling into a ball and trying to hide from them. “I just wanted to be powerful!”

“I see what you mean about not comparing, young Midoriya....” The blonde said, caught off-guard by the warlocks attitude. “Listen to me villain, this must be the day your lucky stars have aligned.”

The blonde lifted him to his feet and his eyes started to glow. “Leave this place and never return to this path. Perhaps you may yet be safe if you do, however if you ever return to harm my students...you'll have me to answer to.”

“Y-yes sir! I'm sorry, sir!” The man shouted, struggling against the man's grasp.

“Good, now...” He let go, and leaned forward ever so slightly. “...run.”

Midoriya didn't think he'd ever seen a villain retreat so fast. He stretched as he stood up, yawning slightly. “Well....now that's done, i hope Recovery Girl doesn't mind me stealing one of the infirmary beds.”

“Huh? Why would you need to do that?”

“Only way i can contact the outsider without him getting me first is sleeping, and I don't think i should freak anyone out by leaving my unconscious body on the floor.” The boy explained as he walked off.

“And infirmary beds are also more comfortable than stone flooring i'll bet.”

“Well, it is a bonus.”

* * *

  
Fortunately the woman had been willing to let him stay for the visit, but in her own words ‘only to not have him coming in with a broken back later.’

Worked for him. That was how he found himself lying down, facing slowly feeling more and more cold as his very soul found it's way into the endless cold abyss that was the void.

**“So you have fully committed to the idea of being a witch.”**

“What can i say?” The greenette groaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and cupped his head. “It's a theme. Annoying the abbey is just a potential bonus. Besides, you called me it first.”

“ **Hmph. True. Well, it's about time i answer your questions, though you already figured some of it out for yourself.”** The deity said as disappeared in a flurry of crystals, reappearing with the entire island of void rock housing statues. A new one now had actual features instead of vague rock shapes. **“Like i said before, a warlock is a false witch. As you correctly summarised, these disgusting creatures take what was never theirs, using relics such as the knife you destroyed.”**

“You really don't like these guys do you? Why-Mphh!” His mouth suddenly snapped shut and the normally stoic god stood over him, a fire burning in the endless black pupils of his.

 **“Never ask me that again, Izuku. It is best forgotten forever.”** The Outsider said with a tone of absolute finality before whirling around and continuing on like it never happened. **“Relics are rarer to come by in this world but certain items and jeweles, such as emeralds, are able to contain raw power from the void that leaks out.”**

“The void...wait it can leak out? Is that how you get out into the real world occasionally?” Midoriya questioned with a quirked brow, as he hopped over the floating platforms to get a closer look at the statues.

“ **Astute observation, but not quite. However that is a lesson for another time. Warlocks...they use relics both to give them a base set of powers and to absorb others powers. I can only assume this mortal found as much out from a demon of some kind, and decided to be ambitious, going for the top of the food chain straight away.”**

“Wait, top of?”

**“You're linked to me Izuku, and consequentially that means you are linked directly to the void. To the very essence of magic. To put it in simple terms, a low level demon is a bit like a quick snack, whereas you are an entire feast of magical energy, it certainly doesn't help your more attuned than any before you.”**

“Actually, that's a point. For some reason i haven't bern having panic attacks today, despite fighting Todoroki and Bakugou....shouldn't they be setting it off? Is my magic doing something to help?”

“ **Not quite. With a warlock wandering about i couldn't afford to have you off your game so i did a little magical....tweaking. No i won’t let it stay, it's not a good idea to leave permanently.”**

“Why not?” Izuku whined, really getting fed up with magic messing with him like this. “And why were you so sure he'd cause problems anyway, was pretty easy to stop to me.”

 **“Because you have magic, on top of that if he thought he was screwed he would of let all that energy loose, which would have been equivalent to a bomb, taking out hundred of lives.”** Ok...so yeah it was better he went alone... “ **As for your first question...It's like a drug i suppose would be the mortal equivalent. You have it, but when it finally wears off the effects will be worse if it was left too long, so you leave it on because you can't handle it until it gets worse, so and so forth until eventually it doesn't hold anymore and your mind can, quite literally, melt.”**

“Wonderful...” The boy deadpanned, before he looked around and his eyes widened. “Hey...is that a house over there?”

It was. In the distance on a floating slab of rock was an almost quaint surban style house with two floors. The roof exploded out exposing an opening and it even had some physics defying garden where plants were seemingly thriving. It completely clashed against the dark nature of the rest of the void and he felt almost drawn to it.

 **“Ah...that. Well, i will get to that when we discuss your fight against that shinsou boy.”** The deity said and the greenette's eyes widened as he recalled what had occurred. Before he could say anything though the ground beneath him began to crack. ‘Oh god dammit Outsider.’ “ **For now, i've kept you too long by real world standards, so i'll share that surprise with you later.”**

With that, the floor caved and the boy plummeted until his soul crash landed back into his body. His eyes shot open wide and he jolted up with a shout.

“SWEET JEEZ-“ Recovery girl jumped, accidentally shouting despite herself before glaring at the teen. “Finally joined the living again i see?”

“S-sorry....wait...” He blinked as he looked to his arm and realized he was plugged into a monitor. “Why are you monitoring my heart rate?”

“Your breathing was far to shallow, if i didn't know what you were doing i would of had you shipped out to a hospital. Hell, i was still tempted to but....your ‘visits' leave your body in an almost dead state.” The nurse explained as she looked over the machines and began to pull them out. “Your heart was practically frozen, it's a wonder you can even judt come back to functioning as easy as you do.”

“Huh...” Midoriya muttered as he began to climb up. “To be honest i've never really understood how visiting the void works. How much did I miss?”

“You were out of it for ages, but....if you hurry you might catch the end of the last match.” The nurse said as she took her seat, as the boy hopped out of bed as his eyes widened.

“Crap!” He exclaimed as he ran off, hurrying through into the hall and ignoring the womans shouts about not cursing in her infirmary as he ran towards the stage enterances. It took him a couple minutes but eventually he camr out and his eyes widened as he took in the scene.

Walls of ice and shattered remains covered the entire lower stadium along with scorch markd and burns as on the stage, sat atop the final barrage their stood Bakugou, holding Todoroki by uis shirt and screaming in his face.

“NO! I REFUSE TO WIN LIKE THIS DAMMIT!” The blonde shouted as more explosions went off and Midnight hurried to separate the two boys as the woman announced the blonde as the winner.

‘Dammit....’ Midoriya frowned at the result, sighing as he turned abd began walking away. ‘And that means Iida didn't pass either...i wonder what happened...’

* * *

  
“Deku!” Uraraka shouted excitedly as she and Hagakure vaulted over the chairs in the spectators stand, pulling him into a tight hug together. Jirou cane uo behind him and just put a hand on his shoulders. “You were in the infirmary so long...we were starting to get worried.”

“Oh uhh....well i'm fine, i just.....The pressure from that explosion had a delayed effect on me. Ended up affecting me more than expected.” He bluffed, cringing at how weak an excuse it was but the girls bought it..

“We really need to put a safet vest or something on you with how often you end up passing out, it's not even funny.” Kaminari suggested and the boy scratched the back of his head. Then he realized a certain two boys were missing.

“Wait, where's Iida and Tokoyami?” He questioned, and felt his stomach sink as the class shared a look.

“Tokoyami's waiting to get his medal for third place...” Kirishima started, fidgeting when Uraraka took over.

“Iida is sharing third but...the teachers took him away for something, they didn't tell us what.” The brunnette explained as she rubbed her arm. The greenette paled and turned on his heels without a word. “Deku?”

“I'll be right back! I just need to...check something!” He shouted as he took off, hurrying down the halls and rushing to the waiting rooms when he suddenly collided with something, falling back with a yelp. “Sorry...”

“You stupid welp! Did your mother never teach you not run inside?!” An angery, gruff voice asked and Midoriya looked up, coming face to face with endeavour. Then he growled as anger washed over him, and this time it was most definitely his own.

“No but she did teach me to never play with shit, so you'll excuse me if i don't intend to interact to you.” The boy spat as he stood up, happy to see the man shake in anger. “Oh, and she also taught me to appreciate my superiors, so good thing you're not one. “

“WHY YOU LITTLE-"

Midoriya didn't hear the rest as he rounded the corner and hurried into the room. ‘Come on...’

“Midoriya?” Thirteen’s surprised voice asked and tge greenette let out a sigh of relief as he saw the principal and his friend. The blue haired teen turned to face him, tears in his eyes. Vaguely the marked tern registered the boy looked surprisingly good without glasses. “What are you doing here?”

“Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. It's just i just woke up and-" He could continue as two strong armd wrapped around him tight, knocking the window out of him.

“Thank you...Thankyouthankyouthankyou.” The taller teen continued to practically chant the two words while Midoriya awkwardly wrapped his arms around his friend.”

“Uhh...Iida? A-air?” The greenette managed to get out and Iida loosened his grip immediately, muttering an apology. “It's fine. What was that all about?”

“I imagine it has to do with how you contributed to saving Ingenium. Thanks to your vision and quick action warning us about said development, we recovered him from an alley in Hosu city and delivered him to a local hospital.” Nezu spoke up from his spot, getting both teenagers attention. “Thanks to being found when we did, we managed to prevent there being too much blood loss. They predicted that even a minute longer and his legs would of lost too much blood, paralyzing him permanently. You msy have quite literally saved Tensei Iida's entire career.”

“O-oh. Well i'm just glad he's safe. I.....i'm going to see that vision in my nightmares, I'm just glad it didn't come true.” The marked teen said as he crossed his arms, looking down.

“Quite. Now, while i'm sure you want to get to the hospital as soon as problem mister Iida, i imagine they'll still be at work if you leave now so if you please, i'd like to at least give you your medal. When we're done we should have a carpool ready for you.” Nezu said and the blue haired teen nodded as he wiped his eyes, and they all turned to leave as the teachers stood up. “Then let's go.”

* * *

  
The award Ceremony was quite a simplr thing, compared to everything before it. Iida and Tokoyami stood together on the third place podium, sharing stoic looks. Todoroki stood on the second place podium completely uninterested and finally, Bakugou was the most emotional however hardly in a good way, literally cuffed and muzzled to prevent him attacking anyone.

All Might had flipped into the scene, and after a brief stumble showing Midnight and All Might maybe should of practiced a little more before hand, the man presented the medals to each of his students, giving them messqges of praise, encouragement, self-improvement and in Bakugou's case, a bit of fear.

The crowd cheered, Present Mic gave some fanciful speech Midoriya only half listened to and the winners, except for Bakugou who a few pro's carefully tried to tame, all walked over to the greenette atndthe principal.

“Wonderful performances, each and every one of you!” The bear-mouse-hybrid thing said as he clapped his paws together. “This has been one of the most exhilarating festivals i've had the pleasure to watch!”

“Thank you, principal.” Tokoyami said with a nod, and Todoroki looked up to Midoriya, before letting out a sad sigh.

“I'm sorry...i couldn't....” The boy looked away and Midoriya walked forth, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It's fine, you did what you were able to." The greenette said, and Iida frowned.

“It is a bit of a shame you never got to display more of your capabilities today, Midoriya. That domino power could have got quite a bit of attention from the pro's.” He mentioned as they walked away, while the greenette looked back to the halls, happening to notice a flaming figure hulking away. Then an idea went through his head and he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. ‘Maybe not in the festival but...’

“Hey, Tokoyami?” The greenette started and the bird-headed boy looked up at him with a quizzical gaze. “Could you do me a favor and send Kirishima to the outside balcony please? Todoroki, come with me.”

“Huh? Why?” The hetrochromatic quirked a brow in confusion, yet followed despite that. “Is there a reason for this?”

“You'll see...”

* * *

  
“Hey Midoriya, you needed me?” Kirishima asked as wandered out onto the bare balcony, before his eyes widened as he realized who else was there. “Oh, hey Todoroki. Didn't expect to see you, what's happening?”

“I have no idea.” The dual quirk wielder said simply, and Midoriya grinned as he leaned over the edge and confirmed his target was still close enough to pull this off. His hand glowed and he watched silently as a yellow smoke trail connected between Kirishima and Endeavour in the crowd below, only visible to him.

“Right well...” The greenette walked up to the red head and whispered his plan quietly into the boys ear, only giving enough detail to get him to go along with it without giving away more than he should. “..Are you in?”

“I mean...that's a bit weird dude, Recovery girl isn't going to be happy with you.” The hardening teen said, but melted under the magic boys pout.

“I'm fine with the consequences. Please?”

“Fine, but only because i'll never let it be said i backed down from a challenge to prove my manliness.” The boy said and Midoriya grinned, quickly directing Todoroki's gaze to endeavor.

“Father is watching.” The boy said quietly and izuku turned, only to see endeavour still stomping away. ‘must of missed it.’

“Ready Kirishima?” The greenette asked, and the red head nodded as his body turned to stone.

“As i’ll ever be. May the best man win...” Kirishima said and the greenette's body lit up as red lines started to appear across his body. “Go!”

“SMASSHH!” He shouted as he threw out a kick, aiming for a specfic target he hit. Kirishima flinched overall but didn't freak out too much while in the distance, the girliest scream they'd ever heard rang out.

“MY FIREBALLS!”

“Uh-he...pftt..hehehe" Slowly, the normally stoic teen started to laugh lightly and before they knew it he burst out into full, unadulterated laughter. It sounded odd, coming from someone who probably wasn't used to laughing but despite that, it was music to Midoriya's ears.

Recovery girl refused to heal that injury.


	36. I ToLD yoU tO StOp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M - I

TZAJSMZB SJPY 'GUJYS?' VTYXIVG M GXJPCN RJLT LTTU SJP ICC ZTDU...


	37. One for All...?

Following the sports festival, and after the greenette had been thoroughly chewed out by Recovery Girl for unnecessarily breaking his limbs he was sent back to his classroom, where mister Aizawa had congratulated them all on their performance and explained that they had a few days off to recover while the pro’s who had been scouting talent looked over their performances.

 

After that, they had been dismissed and Midoriya had walked out with Uraraka, Jirou and Hagakure, Iida having already left to go see his brother. The girls has been curious cast but he’d just brushed it off, not really wanting to explain.

 

They’d separated at the entrance as a car was waiting for the boy, the carpool U.A. had ordered. He climbed inside, careful not to irritate his leg as he did.

 

The ride home was quiet as he settled back, just texting random people on the way. At one point the car stopped a little to suddenly, causing him to bang his broken leg against the seat in front of him.

 

What really surprised him was when it only stinged a little, instead of causing a sharp painful… well pain.

 

‘ **A reward for putting your powers to incredibly good use today, both against the warlock and endeavour. This is a one time pass so don’t get used to it.** ’

 

Despite himself, the greenette grinned. It faltered immediately at the next thing the Outsider said in his head.

 

‘ **See you tonight, for….whatever you’d call this development.** ’

 

Something so odd the outsider couldn’t explain it? That was not something the marked boy looked forward to finding out about.

 

A new kind of foe? A monster or a magical effect caused by the void? Maybe another marked person?

 

He had to be prepared for anything.

 

~~~

 

His leg fully healed by the time he got home thanks to the magical intervention by the outsider, so Midoriya threw away the cast before he walked in. There was no need to worry his mother for no reason.

 

He walked into his house and had been greeted by the proud yet worried cries of Inko, as she held her “Amazing baby boy” against her. Embarrasing though it was, he couldn’t help but grin as he hugged her back.

 

They’d ate his favourite meal to celebrate how far he got and eventually he’d retired to his room, glad that most of the craziness was finally dealt with. He could count at least seven different different major things that had happened already.

 

He sighed as he set his head on his pillow. Time to deal with whatever the last thing was. He closed his eyes and just waited.

 

It took a little longer than normal for him to finally feel the cold yet now familiar embrace. It was almost comforting to be here in a way…

 

He expected some sarcastic comment to come from the ethereal voice of the outsider or maybe just for the god to jump right into whatever the issue was. What he didn’t expect…

 

“Izuku? Midoriya?” A feminine voice questioned, causing him to shot his eyes open in surprise. The first thing he noticed was there was an actual roof above him, the second was that standing over him wasn’t the outsider like usual but…

 

It was the woman from before. The one who has saved him during the match with Shinsou. Slowly he started to get up, clutching his head as he did so. “You’re…All Might’s mentor?”

 

“Nana Shimura.” She introduced with an amused chuckle, offering him a hand up which he took. As he did, he realised they were in an actual room similar to his own bedroom just lacking any proper personalization, such as posters or figurines. “I always thought I’d like whoever Toshinori picked but I never expected him to pick someone so cute! It’s so nice to be able to actually meet you!”

 

Blushing at that, the teen walked to the nearby window to inspect the outside. It was still the void. Then he remembered his last visit. “This is…that house?”

 

“Right, you’re probably pretty confused.” Shimura said, turning to the door and gesturing at him to follow. “I’m not really the right person to explain but I do know it has something to do with One for All, though I have a feeling you already guessed that.”

 

“Yeah, that’s the only part of this I can figure out.” The boy nodded, seeing as it was the only link between the two. Well aside from All Might. As they walked downstairs, Midoriya felt as if his head would explode. Because there was six other people in the house.

 

The first one that drew his immediate attention was a bald and muscular man with googles on his head and an open jacket exposing his chest. There was nothing remarkable about him, however the boy’s attention was drawn more because he was actually talking about something with the Outsider.

 

Before he went to interrupt and find out what in the void was going on (though technically, he realized that phrase didn’t really work when he was literally in the void…), he took in the other people in the room.

 

There was a woman with short white hair, blue eyes, one of which had a scar running over it and a very simple blue jumpsuit who was sipping a cup of tea and talking with a boy across from her, who had short spiky brown hair and similarly colored eyes. He wore a simple windbreaker and seemed to be avoiding looking at anyone but the woman before him.

 

Finally, playing a weird board game Midoriya had never seen was the last two. The more interesting of the two was a woman with pink hair made of petals, that all lead to a bright pink flower on her head. He couldn’t see the front of her from his position, but she seemed to exude an air of rebellion from her mere presence.

 

Across from her was a man with dark black hair and similarly colored eyes, whose jacket covered his mouth and hands seemed to shake with every movement he made. In fact there seemed to be bandages around his wrist, suggesting some kind of injury.

 

“How….how is this even possible?” Midoriya blurted out, as he looked down at the floor not realzing he’d just gained everyone’s attention. “I mean I knew One for All and magic could interact in weirdwayswithhowitkeptmefrombreakingbutthisisjustbizzare! Imeaniunderstandthisisalltheprevioususersandeverythingbuthowcanthatbeandisthatatenticale-MMPGHF!”

 

With a flick of the Outsiders wrist, the boy was thrown out of his mumble storm meeting all their eyes. Before anyone can say anything more, the black eyed deity walked up to him.

 

“ **Ah, Izuku…You see what I mean about surprise? Or I suppose I could also call it an infestation.** ” He said, disappearing and reappearing around the room in flurries of crystals, presumably his version of frantic pacing.

 

“Hey, we didn’t chose to end up here asshat!” The flower headed woman called back as she turned and Midoriya saw she had the petals in a bang that cover her right eye, her left one a striking lilac color. “Isn’t this your fault anyways?”

 

“ **Hmph. Rude. Still, you are not necessarily wrong. Alright, now that Izuku is here let’s take this from the top.”**  The Outsider announced as he threw out his hand, causing the wall to burst out to expose the void where shadowy versions of them all were set upon a rock like stage. ‘Yeah he’s definitely trying to show off…’ “ **You’re shared power, One for All seems to inherently spiritual in nature. As I have explained to you before, my dear Izuku, the souls of this world are incredibly persistent and it would seem, unknown to most of you that your power has been the safe space that has held onto your souls until now. Following the events of that one match during the sports festival, something… awakened inside that power. However, at the same time whether it be intentional or subconscious Midoriya had been channelling his magic heavily at the same time.”**

“…It caused them to mix…” Midoriya realized, as he crossed his arms and awkwardly took a seat beside Shimura and the black haired man. “Wait so you guys are the real….”

 

“Yes, sweetie, we’re the real past holders.” The white haired woman said with a kindly smile. “In the…well not flesh but you catch my drift!”

 

“Wait but then…” Midoriya felt his blood turn ice cold as he remembered everything he’d been told about souls and the void until now. “Won’t this place corrupt you somehow?! Even though you guys aren’t evil obviously you can’t…”

 

“ **An understandable concern, however one that you need to worry about. You see, were they corrupted by the void it should have already happened by now. Yet it hasn’t even started happening. The reason is actually quite simple, I think.”**  The outsider explained, sounding almost amused by it all. “ **As I’m sure you have realized by now, you yourself only come as a soul Midoriya. Yet you are never corrupted due to the protection my mark offers you, seeing as their very presence here is linked to your powers I think it’s only reasonable to assume it is somehow extending it’s protection onto them, recongizing them as a part of you in way.”**

“Hey, as long as I’m not turning into one of those horror monster demon things I’m happy.” The bald man shrugged.  Midoriya blinked confused and went to open his mouth but was interrupted before he could even begin.

 

“ **Before you ask, Midoriya it is another side effect of what has happened here. Much like how One for All has recorded their spirits, it has also recorded their experiences as well as yours, essentially allowing them access to knowledge they technically shouldn’t have.”**

 

“So…what happens now?” The black haired man beside Midoriya asked with a quirked brow. He looked young on the outside but his voice…it sounded almost ancient in a way.

 

“ **I will admit even I do not know exactly what this turn of events means. However, as there seems to be no negative effects from your presence here, and I already bothered to create this construct I have no immediate want to kick you out. In fact I find myself curious to see what will come of this development.”** Once he’d explained his stance, the Outsider disappeared once more in a flurry of crystals but he wouldn’t reappear this time. As he started to disappear he said one last thing. “ **You might as well get to know each other.** ”

 

With that, he was gone leaving the various One for All holders to sit in silence for a moment before Shimura finally spoke up, clapping her gloved hands together. “Alright then, we might as well make the most of this! Introducing ourselves to Midoriya would be a good start. Like you already figured out, I’m Toshinori’s predecessor Nana Shimura. Honestly, I’m just glad I got to meet you at all.”

 

As she said that she held her hand out and the boy took it unsure, wincing a bit when her grip turned out to be insanely tight. She quickly pulled away when she realized. “Ah sorry! Anyways, you like quirks right Midoriya? Mine is ‘Reconstruction’, I can use it to heal injuries and restore people to states they were previously in.”

 

“That’s…really cool actually, that would be really useful in a lot of rescue missions I bet!” The greenette said excitedly as a grin began to grow on his face and a happy smile graced Shimura’s own.

 

“Oh great we got a fan boy.” The petal haired woman said, yet it seemed more like light natured teasing than an actual complaint. She flipped a peace sign at him while she continues to just relax on the couch. “Miyo Ruki, fifth user of one for all at your service, nice to meetcha. My quirk is ‘Plant control’, see this awesome hairdo? That flower lets me control flower and vines and shit.”

 

“Ruki, do you really need to always be so crude?” The black-haired man sighed, before he turned to the the greenette with an almost bored gaze. “I’m Tomoya Sotatsu, predecessor to Nana and successor of Miyo. You’ll have to excuse my old mentors language, she never did learn how not to act like a child.

 

“Hey I can still whoop your ass, kiddo!”

 

“Ignoring that…My quirk is simply ‘Retrocognition’. Think of your premonition abilities but working in reverse, allowing me to see any moment of the past I wish.” He said, with something almost akin to a bow.

 

“Those are both super awesome quirks, especially the plant one!” Midoriya beamed as his mind raced with all the potential applications they could be used for. He then turned to the next user, the brown haired boy and his grin faltered a bit when he seemed to actively flinch away from him.

 

“Ah, sorry about him, he’s always been a bit nervous around strangers.” The bald man waved away, placing a hand on his shoulders. “He was my successor though, the kid’s Eito Kenji, he can absorb any material he wants and mimic it with his body. Like if he touches a car he can turn his body to metal, bit like your hardening friend.”

 

“Wow, that’s a really amazing quirk, especially for when you must have been around…” Midoriya said, a little quieter than he was before. If Kenji was easily spooked he shouldn’t be making it worse for him. Another hand came down on the shy boy’s shoulder to reassure him and the marked teen looked up to see the white haired woman smiling at him again.

 

“I’m Aneko Saya, my quirks pretty simple but still really useful. Any liquids I consume I can store and spray out in strong jets. It’s a little gross to do it through my mouth but what has to be done has to be done.” She said cocking her head to the side. For some reason Midoriya swore he could picture his own mother in her place for a moment.

 

“She’s also incredibly quick to attack so be careful around her.” Sotatsu said, matter-of-factly. “I know you were looking at my hands and this isn’t some injury crossed over from the real world.”

 

“I’m sorry, ok!? You startled me!” The woman defended herself with a pout.

 

“Yet your immediate response to something that happens to loads of people all the time was to try to tear my hands off. Truly, a sensible reaction.” The sixth holder said, sarcasm obvious in his tone. Before they could argue any further though, Midoriya realized something else.

 

“Wait…All Might told me I was ninth and I know why he isn’t here but….Where’s the first holder?” He questioned confused, looking around. He regretted asking when the room suddenly descended into a cold deafening silence. “Did…did I say something wrong?”

 

“N-no….it’s just…” Nana sighed, as she took a seat. “I know you’re probably getting really annoyed with thing being constantly kept from you and such but…this is something you really should wait for Toshinori to explain, ok?”

 

He wanted to groan, and a part of him felt like just demanding an answer now but he didn’t. Instead he nodded quietly and accepted this was something that he was just going to have to put up with. “Then…here’s a question…what exactly happened in that match?”

 

The users looked amongst themselves for a moment, before all eyes fell on Saya for some reason. The woman cleared her throat before she grinned nervously, clearly uncertain herself. “Well…This is just a guess mostly but….I think that what was supposed to happen was you were just supposed to see vestiges of us, as a sort of confirmation One for All had truly been integrated into you but you’re magic being active at the same time ended up…for lack of a better term, super charging the whole process. I’d hazard a guess the reason we were thrown here afterwards was partially for our own safety perhaps, but either way I think it also essentially forced One for All into a more finished state than it would have been otherwise.”

 

“Finished? What does that mean?”

 

 **“Unfortunately, Izuku, that is a quandary for another time I’m afraid. You need to return now, as you will need all the rest you can.** ” The Outsider’s voice cut in and they looked to see him standing their, not really facing them. “ **You will need all the energy you can get for what is coming next.** ”

 

“Huh? Wait what-“

 

“ **See you soon, Izuku.”**

 

With that, the floor caved in beneath him, and the boy plummeted back into his own body. Grumbling to himself, the boy pulled his pillow to him and tried his best to go back to sleep.

 

Pretty hard to considering the revelation he’d just gone through though. The users of One for All.

 

They were back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I just want to share this little anectode with you all of what happened while i was writing this. Context:
> 
> >Since finishing the last chapter, have been planning out the stain arc.  
> >Wrote all this stuff down about the the users appearnances and powers for this  
> >get to actually writing this and go to look up one of the only two official users only to find an official manga cover with the majority of their appearances.
> 
> That was....that was frustrating. I've decided to go with my original plan for now and just accept this will be outdated fast because this is an alternative universe and I can do what I want.


	38. A name, A promise

Somehow, despite the odds Midoriya had eventually drifted off into a somewhat fitful sleep, tossing and turning as dreams  Visions of Todoroki, the holders, Iida and as ever the first demon invaded his dreams.

 

Each dream left him with nothing but a horrible sense of dread. He had a feeling that was the Outsider’s fault with his vague warnings. Still, he’d gotten through the night and the sun was washing into his room as he began to get ready, picking up his phone.

 

’01:20? Mom must of let me sleep in to recover.’ He thought as he tapped the screen, opening it up and notcing he had a few unread messages. ‘I hope Iida’s ok…’

 

Suprisingly though, the first message wasn’t from any of his regular friends but from Todoroki.

 

 

_Unknown number:_

_Unknown Number: Midoriya, it’s Shoto Todoroki. I’d like to request access to the group text. I believe I need to start trying to interact with others more, as part of my first step to moving on. – Yesterday, 09:00pm_

 

With a small smile, the marked boy quickly added the heterochromatic teen to the group chat, trying not laugh at him using formal language almost worse than Iida. However as that thought crossed his mind his smile quickly died down again, and he quickly scrolled through his contacts.

 

 

Iida:

 

You: Hey, I just wanted sure you’te ok? I’m here if you need me. – Just now

 

 

 

After a few moments passed without reply he sighed and put his phone away. Iida normally responded faster than anyone but he probably needed some time to himself right now, so he might not even have his phone on him.

 

A ding alerted him to yet another new message which he opened up and his mouth did then split into a wide grin as he read the content.

 

 

_Unknown number:_

_Unknown number: Hey kid! Bet you didn’t expect to here from me for a while, it’s Aki. Got this number from you’re principal if you were wondering. Just wanted to say I’m back with my family now, on the road to recovery and all. We watched the sports festival yesterday. I was rooting for you! Nice going getting as far as you did._

_Unknown number: Sent Daughter.JPEG_

 

_Unknown number: I also think my kids got a new favorite pro!_

 

 

The picture was of a little girl who shared some of Aki’s phsycial traits, throwing out a black belt like it was her own Far Reach. It was adorable.

 

The rest of his texts were just the girls checking he was ok after he broke his foot, and Mina sending him a random picture of a puppy along with her get well message.

 

He put his phone into his pocket and began to stretch, about to go get breakfast (lunch?) when suddenly…

 

“IZUKU!? Are you up?!” His mother’s frantic voice called out and he blinked a moment before quickly opening the door and walking out into the living room, mark glowing just in case.

 

“Yeah I’m here, what’s the- Oh…detective Tsukauchi?” The magic teen blinked in surprise as he took in the man, who seemed…perturbed to put it lightly. “What’s-“

 

“Midoriya. I need you to look me in the eye and tell me you were telling the truth.” Tsukauchi demanded, standing up and walking closer to the boy. At his befuddles expression the man sighed. “Please… I need to know… Is everything you’ve told me the abosolute truth?!”

 

“O-ok! I was telling the truth. I AM telling the truth!” He said, meeting the detectives eye. He didn’t flinch down from the scrutinzning stare, even if it did set him on edge. Eventually the man let out a sigh, collapsing back onto the couch and massaging his temples. “Tsukauchi? What exactly is this about?”

 

He knew it was likely something to do with the abbey investigation but he had no idea what had prompted this. Aki was safe and with his family, the overseers should be easy to take down with the amount of DNA evidence proving Haruki was there in that room. The blood that had coated would surely-

 

“We couldn’t find the room you mentioned.”

 

Wait…WHAT?!

 

“Uh… but… that room wasn’t hidden or anything! It was out in the open on the third floor, it should have been super easy to find.” Midoriya exclaimed, as he stood up.

 

“Yeah, we found the hallway but… It was pristine. There were no bloodstains of any kind, even when we used luminol and there were no doors at all to be found, no matter how much we looked for one.” He said, and Midoriya wanted to batter his head against the wall. ‘HOW?! Was it-‘ “It wasn’t a quirk either. We checked over every overseer and most were quirkless. The ones that weren’t didn’t have any type that could do this.

 

“What the….”

 

Silence hung in the room after that, no one quite sure what to say. Inko difgeted in her seat, nervous about the consequences of this, Tsukauchi looked frustrated and confused and Midoriya was just angry.

 

“On the… well I won’t call it the bright side but the siver lining. I can at least get this case thrown out due to a lack of suffient evidence any which way.” The detective said with a sigh as he stood up, grabbing his coat. “You won’t be punished, but neither will they be dealt with.”

 

“Dammit… Wait… how come Aki’s injuries don’t count as sufficient?!” The marked teen suddenly realized, looking up. “He looked like he was hit by a train when I rescued him, surely…”

 

“Without the ability to prove where they came from definitively, there’s simply no way we can use it as effective evidence.” The dark haired man explained, walking to the door. “I’m sorry i couldn’t bring you better news but I’m afraid there is nothing to be done about it.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

After that, the man left the two Midoriya’s to return to his precint presumably while the marked teen walked towards the couch, collapsing into it.

 

Then he let out a frustrated scream.

 

‘HOW THE CRAP DO YOU LOSE AN ENTIRE ROOM?!’

 

* * *

 

Aside from that revelation, the rest of the small break the students had been affored after the festival had passed in relative peace. Iida rarely responded or sent texts, and the girls grew worried for both him and Midoriya, who had ended up going pretty silent as well.

 

The greenette did his best to keep them reassured though when he could, it was just the fact that an entire damn room managed to vanish that was really starting to keep him up at night.

 

He shook his head, walking up the pathway to U.A in the rain. (He had asked the carpool to let him get out early, so he could walk for a bit and clear his head.)

 

He had yet to return to the void again and meet any of the One for All holders. Whether that be because the Outsider wanted him to talk to All Might first, or was setting something up or what, Midoriya didn’t know.

 

He looked up, noticing he was getting close to the main building when he heard splashing and footsteps behind him. Turning, he was surprised to see Iida running as fast as he seemed able.

 

“Oh, Iida?”

 

“Morning, Midoriya! Where’s your sense of urgency?! We’ll be late!” The boy said quickly, pulling out ahead. Midoriya blinked as hestarted to hurry his own pace.

 

“But there’s still twenty minutes until the first bell!”

 

“Yes but as U.A students we should be ten minutes early at the very least everyday, do you not agree!?” The engine teen called back, eventually slowing down as he reached the steps to the main building. Then he suddenly lifted his head up as if he’d just remembered something. “Oh, and Midoriya?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I know you’re going to ask. My brother is… stable for now. He’s still at Hosu general hospital.” Iida explained as he started unzipping his coat, the two stepping into the dry refuge of the locker area. Midoriya could only wince though, as while his friend smiled at him, his emotions screamed an entirely different story. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

 

Anger, and resentment poured through him. It was so… similar to how Todoroki had been but… There was one major difference. Iida’s emotions were punctuated by so much fear. After everything that had already passed, the greenette wasn’t letting it slide. “Iida… Please… Don’t lie to me. I’m your friend. I can tell something isn’t right…”

 

The taller teen’s smile fell away at that as they started walking to their class. “Right… it’s surprisingly easy to forget you’re emphatic abilties… Alright, to be honest, I can’t help but worry. It was Stain who was responsible.”

 

Midoriya felt his eyes bugle out of his skull as whipped around, taking that in. “You mean the Hero Killer? Oh no…”

 

His friend gave a nod of confirmation and Midoriya felt his stomach sink. Stain was a notorious ‘vigilante’, if you could even call him that who was killing heroes as well as criminals who deemed to be unworthy of that title.

 

A lot of pro’s the greenette had looked up to had been ended by the man. He’d never been caught yet…

 

“Yes, seeing as you’re good at keeping up to date with hero news I’m sure you’re aware no one has escaped him before.” Iida said with frown as they walked up to their class, no one having arrived yet besides them. “In an odd sort of way, I’d almost feel better if my brother’s injuries weren’t temporary. OF course I’d never wish that upon my brother but at least I’d know he’d be safe from further assaults. Now that he can recover…”

 

“You’re worried stain will attack while he’s weak?”

 

“Yes….”

 

Midoriya sighed, frowing as he took his seat. There was nothing he could say to that, that wouldn’t make Iida feel worse. In all honesty, it’s what Midoriya expected to happen.

 

Stain didn’t seem like the type to leave business unfinished.

 

* * *

 

After a couple of moments, the rest of the class had started filing in. The first to come in after the two had been Todoroki, who had given a small nod to the greenette before sitting and Midoriya was happy to note he looked a million years younger.

 

It was still clear thar what was bothering him wasn’t gone but at least for him it seemed those burdens were beginning to lift. Everyone else had filed in, talking about how people recongized them from the festival and finally eventually mister Aizawa had appeared, no longer wrapped in bandages.

 

The class would of cheered for him if it wasn’t for the fact it would make him use his quirk on them. After the usual general announcments were over, the scruffy man looked over them all.

 

“Now, we have an important assignment for you to complete today. Something that could shape your whole future as a hero.” He announced, drawing in their attention. Some of them tensed, scared of what it could be. “You have to pick code names, before you go out for your internships.”

 

Those who were worried relaxed. “Speaking of, so you’r aware, here’s the totals for those of you who got offers. Normally this wouldn’t happen until your second and third year but this time it’s different. By extending these offers, pro’s are essentially investing in your future. They can be rescinded at any time.”

 

“So we still have to prove ourselves.” Jirou summoned up, leaning back in her seat. The scruffy man nodded as he pressed a button and various names came on the screen. Not everyone got offers but a fair amount of the class did.

 

Bakugou and Todoroki had hundreds more than the rest, and as he scanned the board, Midoriya realized….

 

“Midoriya, you only got one offer…” Mineta commented from behind. “I bet most of the pro’s found you’re insane stunts too… well insane. Does that mean you’re gonna be forced into that one internship?”

 

“Not if I refuse it.” He said simply, getting a few surprised looks at that. He understood why, throwing away his one best chance at proving himself probably seemed pretty stupid but he just had a bad feeling… ‘Only one offer, and I can think of at least two different groups of people who might try to pose as heroes….’

 

“Well, that’s your choice.” Their teacher shrugged as he started to zip up his sleeping bag. “I’m not ideally suited to helping you pick out names, so today-“

 

“-I’ll be helping!” A new voice announced and they all looked up at the entrance way to see Midnight leaning in as if the doorframe was  a pole. With a grin she bounded in while Aizawa grumbled, beaming at them all. “These names are supposed to be temporary but you should still treat them as if they will be the final product. If people come recongize you as one thing it can be incredibly difficult to change to anything else.”

 

She paused for a moment as she fished out a few whiteboards and markers from Aizawa’s desk, before putting the stack in front of each of the first row students. Midoriya tried to ignore the fact Bakugou’s hand was smoking when he handed his over.

 

“A good name is something memorable, recognizable that also says what you’re all about! My pro name for example, aside from being mysterious causing people to internalize it easier, also refers to the fact that at midnight a majority of people are asleep and my quirk puts people to sleep. Of course, it doesn’t nessecarily have to be in refrence to your powers….”

 

As Midoriya looked down at the white board in front of him, he began to think. A hero name that screams what he’s all about…

 

**_“Izuku Midoriya…. Aren’t you an intresting puzzle piece of history…”_ **

****

_“You earned this, My boy…”_

_“I figured you wouldn’t mind me catching you.”_

 

Aoyoma walked up first, his hero name a ridiculous full sentence. Midoriya wasn’t sure how Midnight allowed it, ‘I can’t stop twinkling’ didn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

 

_His hand seemed to act all of its own accord as he turned back to face the robot. Some small, semi-opaque black and purple tendrils shot out his hand and wrapped around the robots head, pulling the boy back._

_He was confused but didn’t have time for questions. He had to save that girl! Now he had a slight bit more idea of his power he aimed for the robots head and kicked towards the robot, using the wind pressure generated by his legs and flying to the robot. He turned around mid-air, remembering the way he’d seen the blue haired boy destroy one of the smaller villains and smashed right through the robots head, coming out the other side._

Mina jumped up next, getting her suggestion of ‘Alien queen’ shot down, and replaced with ‘Pinky’. She quietly accepted the change with a pout, returning to her seat.

 

Asui walked up next, with the first normal name of the bunch. ‘Rainy season hero: Froppy.’

 

_“Well at least you—WOAAHHH” The blonde had made to get up as he was talking but ended up standing on one of the items neither had noticed, causing the blonde to slip and fall backwards out the window to Midoriya’s horror._

_“ALL MIGHT!” The boy shouted in shock. On instinct he leaned out the window and threw his left hand forward, summoning his power. At the same time, The man bulked up into his muscle form. The boy had forgotten about that! ‘oh crap im going to get pulled out by his weight!’_

_At least, that’s what the boy thought but to both there surprise when the tentacle wrapped around All might, He was stopped in the air. He was definitely heavy but not enough to pull the boy out like he thought._

_The muscular man looked up and laughed. “Haha, nice work Midoriya! Why don’t you see if you can pull me up from there?”_

 

“Alright, here’s mine. My code name should be Red Riot!” Kirishima announced next, catching both Midoriya and Midnight by surprise. ‘He’s naming himself after Crimson Riot….’

 

As he looked down at his board, a thought passed him by. Midnight did say It didn’t have to embody your physical abilties or appearance…

_He couldn’t believe he had accepted Deku as a nickname from the girl but he couldn’t deny hearing her say it so endearingly made him like it_

_“THAT’S ALL YOU ARE, A WORTHLESS DEKU!”_

_“You know what, I like Deku. Makes me think ‘I can do it!’…Plus, I think it’s kind of cute.”_

 

“The hearing hero! Earphone Jack!”

 

“The Tentecale hero: Tentacole!”

 

“The Tape hero: Cellophane!”

 

_“You can call me Deku, but I’m not worthless anymore! From now on Deku Is the name of a hero!”_

_“URACHAN, MOVE!”_

“I’m the sweets hero, Sugar Man!”

 

“Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt!”

 

_“YOU can decide who dies!”_

_A warm crackle of energy in his legs._

_A sharp pain, like fire in his left hand._

“I hope I can live up to this name. I’m the everything hero: Creati.”

 

Finally, Midoriya put his pen to the board. His name wasn’t a indicator of what he could do. It was something much more important.

 

_A fist collided with the boy’s face, making him stumble. The villain slowly walked towards him, looking somehow bored yet amused. ‘Another multi-quirk user?! No….I recognize this energy….It can’t be…’ “I’m only gonna explain once you brat, and only so you can actually be a ‘worth it’ target. I have superiors, and not those League of Villains chumps. Heroes and Villains mean nothing to us, though we do have to thank those morons for making sure evil persists and keeps us fed. What would be a good term for us? Hmmm, I did always enjoy being called a demon when I was alive.”_

_“Shoto…”_

_“Just your name?”_

_“Yes…”_

_“Haruki Aki… I don’t know who you are or why these guys wanted you, what you do or what you want…” Not just energy but fire flowed through Midoriya as several clicks rang through the air. A chandelier was the only thing between the two sides of the balconies, the only path without overseers. ‘Only one shot at this’ “…But like I said, I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’m a student at U.A. and I WILL save you!”_

_“The Jet-Black hero: Tsukuyomi”_

_“Fresh picked hero: Grape Juice!”_

_‘Everything that’s happened up until now…’_

_He focused on the raging fire of his magic as he summoned Far Reach and did his best to stoke that fire and turn it into a raging inferno as the power shot out._

_Both student and teacher were caught by surprise when the manifested tentacle twisted and contorted, going rigid. The top sharpened into a fine point and where a strong tendril would once be, a sharp lance now took its place in the greenette's hand.._

“T-the petting hero… A-anima….”

 

“King Explosion murder!”

 

“I’m going to say no.”

 

“HUH?! WHY THE FUCK NOT?!”

 

Urarka walked up next, as Bakugou still ranted about his not being accepted. “This is the name I came up with. Uravity…”

 

“I just love that.” Midnight cooed, before looking out. “Ok, now I think we just have Iida, and Bakugou who needs to rethink. Oh and Midoriya as well of course.”

 

Iida walked up at that prompting, radiating a plethora of emotions Deku hated to know was coming from him as he put down the whiteboard, showing them all. “Tenya.”

 

“You’re sticking to your first name as well?” Midnight asked, surprised. The blue haired teen just nodded as he walked back to his seat. “Well… alright then. Midoriya?”

 

With a steadying breathe, the greenette put down the final touch and stood up.

 

_Who he was, was a hero in training, who wanted to help others._

_Who he also was though, was a witch._

_Not an evil one of course, but a good witch who helped others. That’s how he was happy to characterize himself as now. Plus witch was more dramtic and themed than ‘Marked’._

_And if he was going to be a witch, he had to be ready to sacrifice some other things. He finally let the last of his strength go. Todoroki smashed his hand into the table and the arena exploded into cheers._

 

He faced the card to the class, and even the slightest mummuring died away as they took it in. Some gave him incredoulous looks while others just sat stunned.

 

“Dude… You sure you want to go with that? I mean… They’re insults…” Kirishima asked, his jaw hanging open.

 

“And… You don’t even have hero as part of your name….” Jirou observed, blinking in surprise.

 

“I know it might seem weird, to all of you to choose this but… No offense but you guys haven’t been through what I have since I got to this school. The ‘demon’, the Abbey…. The first part…. I used to hate it, it was the longest running insult I’ve ever put up with but… I guess someone taught me to view it differently, and now I really like it.”

 

“And… the other part?” Hagakure asked, leaning in.

 

“My name isn’t something meant to scream what I can do. It’s meant for me. A promise…. A promise that no matter what, no matter who I have to come up against to do so… I will always do what I believe is right. In the end…. There was nothing else it ever could have been.”

 

He smiled, closing his eyes and for a brief moment, he felt as if One for All and his magic were calm oceans pouring through him, telling him what he’d choosen was right.

 

His codename….

 

“Deku, The witch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will say, the final sequence here admittedly goes on for a bit longer than might ultimately be ideal but i wanted to make sure i hit every major moment leading up to this


	39. Gran Torino

After Midoriya had revealed his codename, he had taken his seat again in the stunned silence, noting on the way back Uraraka seemed to be radiating a bit more happiness than she had before.

 

Another ten minutes passed with the class talking amongst themselves while Bakugou kept trying at hero names. All of them got shot down. When they finally gave uo and just had him go by his regular name, Aizawa had stepped up ro hand out sheets to pick their internships.

 

He made sure they were all aware to pick multiple if they could so that they had a better chance of not having to take a school picked internship. Midoriya’s sheet had still been blank by the time class ended.

 

It’s not that he didn’t have any ideas for where to intern, more that he had to many. With his power set there was nothing he was more suited to in any of the three major styles of heroics over the rest.

 

Of course rescuing others was what had always been his want whenever he thought about being a hero in the past but another part of his brainr reminded him his power’s could really benefit from a more tactical experience.

 

He decided he’d do more in-depth research at home when the bell rang and the class began to pack up.

 

“Hey Deku! Did you pick anything yet?” Uraraka asked as she skipped over to him, trying to sneak a glance at his sheet before he stored it away.

 

“Not yet, what about you?” He asked, as he put on his backpack while the girl started to punch the air.

 

“Yeah, I want to go to gunhead’s agency!” She exclaimed with a grin, while Midoriya turned to her with a look of surprise. “I know combat isn’t really the perfect application for my quirk but I realized during the sports festival how much I need to improve to stand on equal footing as a hero with someone like Bakugou or Todoroki.”

 

“Well, I hope it goes well for you,” The greenette laughed, before looking past her. “What about you Iid-… huh.”

 

He had expected Iida to be waiting on them but instead the boy had already disappeared, causing him to frown as he walked to the door, where Hagakure and Jirou were waiting.

 

“You just missed him. I guess he’s more upset than he wants to let on.” The invisible girl said, while Jirou frowned and the marked boy reached for the door handle. “I just hope his brother gets better.”

 

“yeah…”

 

“HAHAHAHA! I AM HERE, IN AN AWKARD POSITION!” A booming voice announced, causing Midoriya to fall over as All Might’s muscles form suddenly towered in the door way, leaning over.

 

“All Might?!” Jirou questioned, clutching her chest from the fright he gave her. “Don’t do that!”

 

“Apolgies young Jirou, I just need to borrow young Midoriya for a moment for something important!” The blonde explained quickly while he seemed to almost be shaking. ‘Is…is he ok?’ “Come on, young Midoriya!”

 

“R-right! See you guys soon, I’ll try to catch up at the station!”

 

* * *

 

“I’m going to just cut to the chase. Did you get any internship offers today?” All Might asked in a serious as the two stood in the slightly bathroom, the first place they could afford privacy.

 

“Yes but just one. Hoenstly I was going to turn it down, because it’s almost a little to perfect….” Midoriya explained as he re-adjusted his bag with a frown. “Didn’t want to risk walking into a demon den or something.”

 

“F-fair enough. W-well….. You got another offer, one from my old mentor actually. Gran Torino.” The pro explained causing the teens eyes to widen as a huge grin burst onto his face.

 

“Woah, really?!”

 

The grin died away as his mentor’s shaking got worse.

 

“Y-yup. For him t-to extend this offer… does he think im not good enough, did I do something wrong… too scary, too scary, stop shaking!”

 

‘W..what the hell did this guy do to train All Might?!’

 

Shaking his head, the pro turned to him with a card in hand, holding it out. “A-anyways it’s your choice, m-my boy. He knows about One for All, so he might be able to help you gain more control over your powers.” The muscular man said as Midoriya took the card from his hand, while a slightly confused look came onto his face. ‘Wait but… isn’t there only four-‘ “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him so I forget to count him among the people who know.”

 

‘Ah… oh yeah, that’s right…’

 

“Um… All Might… speaking of One for All….” The boy began, taking a deep breathe. Explaining this was gonna be hard. “I um…. I met the the previous users.”

 

There was a beat of silence as the man turned to face him, a look incredulity on his face. “You… what?”

 

“Remember what happened at the sports festival? Well… I dunno, the outsider explained it as One for All and my magic kind of mixing and I guess fusing or something but… When I went to the void, most recently the previous holders were there. Even… even your mentor.”

 

“My master was…” All Might took a deep breathe, before reverting back to his skinny state and walking up to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulders. “Izuku.. promise me you are not pulling my leg. This is not a joking matter.”

 

“I’m not joking, I really did…”

 

The silence returned and Toshinori started to massage his temples taking that in. “How….”

 

“I think… I think it’s their ghosts.” The boy said, following the man out into the open where fortunately no students were present. “I’ve only seen them once… but… All Might, the first holder wasn’t there.”

 

In front of the magic teen, the pro froze up.

 

“They said I should hear why from you. They wouldn’t even look me in the eye when I brought it up.”

 

“My boy…” All Might began, turning and kneeling to be eye level with him. “I…. I can’t tell you. Not yet. I promise…. I promise after the internships are over I’ll tell you… but I need time to collect my thoughts.”

 

Midoriya was annoyed at that. He was annoyed at how much information always seemed to be kept just out of grasp of him but dangled in front of him like he was a cat chasing some string.

 

Still, he understood there had to be a reason so he nodded with a sigh. “So how is he supposed to help me with my quirk anyways? I’ve barely used it.”

 

“Right. Well I’m sending him footage from your original training exercise and some other general footage we managed to collect of you using it. It’s not much though so meet me tomorrow after school with recovery girl and we’ll see where your at before you leave.”

 

“Yeah, ok.”

 

The next day the students couldn’t only speculate why half the front of the forest had become a crater.

 

That night, after he’d finally been allowed to go home from the extensive testing All Might had put him through, his mother had been kind enough to put on his favourite meal and turn on the tv.

 

The greenette had been happy to just relax after the long day and unwind. Unfortuantely, the world had other ideas, as the news was the first thing to come up on the TV with a story the boy had really been hoping he wouldn’t have to hear.

_“Breaking news as well tonight, Hosu General Hospital has been the location of an attack presumed to be by the hero killer, Stain. It’s presumed he was trying to attack ingenium who he had previously attacked already, hospitalzing the pro in the first place._

_Pro’s already on the scene scared off the killer however were unable to pin him down. Those with family in the hospital are advised to be cautious and consider transferring their family if Ingenium isn’t removed from the hospital’s care soon.”_

They continued to talk about the attack but Midoriya tuned it out as he reached for his phone, quickly pulling up his contatcs and texting Iida to ask if he was alright.

 

He didn’t get a reply.

 

* * *

 

When he went to sleep that night, a cold breeze had caused his eyes to snap open and he looked around in surprise as he realized he was in the void. Spefically he was laying face down In the livng room with Nana and the Outsider stood looking down at him.

 

“You always show up here on your face, kiddo?” The woman asked with a laugh as she helped him up and he grumbled as he patted himself down.

 

“ **It’s simply a by-product of how he gets here.”** The Outsider said, walking away. “ **They’ve been adjusting on your annoying human timescale, so I couldn’t bring you back as soon as I had intended.”**

****

“Not of all of those are born gods, you know.” Saya called out from her spot playing a game of checkers with Kenji. The Outsider turned to her, with a cold smirk.

 

 **“None of us were born gods.** ”

 

With that he disappeared, leaving them behind. Nana put a hand on the greenette’s shoulder while scrutinizing the spot the god had stood at. “He always has to make his entrances and exits dramatic, doesn’t he.”

 

“I feel like we all have that problem.” Midoriya said with a nervous laugh, scratching his cheek with a finger. The raven haired wman let out a laugh of her own as she guided him to the close by couch and sat him down.

 

“So, you’re going to see Gran Torino?” The woman asked and Midoriya looked up at her in shock while she sat down on the couch, grinning. “We know what’s going on outside remember, even if we can’t actually do anything while you’re there.”

 

“Ah right…. So now I have seven different people watching my every day life.” Midoriya deadpanned, as Ruki leaped over the couch and sat on his other side.

 

“Hey, not like we got anything better to do. We don’t exactly get any cable here.” The punk like woman said, leaning back into the couch. “So what’s the deal? You excited for this? Nervous?”

 

“Nervous fits pretty well, yeah…” Midoriya nodded as he looked around at them. Kenji nervously dropping into the seat across from him, Saya leaning against said chair. “Have no idea what to expect.”

 

“Hey, you’ll do fine sweetie! I’m srue you have nothing to worry about.” The white haired woman said with a grin that admiteddly did help the boy feel a little better. “Hey, Nana you must know this Torino guy is like. I mean he was your friend right?”

 

“Yeah and….. Well he was a joker to say the least. Actually….” Suddenly a slightly mischevious grin came onto her face. “Hey Izuku, how do you feel about doing me a favour?”

 

“Huh?”

 

* * *

 

The remaining days until the internships passed quickly enough, and finally in what felt like no time at all the students where filing into the train station with mister Aizawa to leave for their internships.

 

He gave them all a reminder about how to behave properly, mainly aimed at Ashido and Kaminari before leaving them to do what they had to. Before the greenette left for the train though, he turned his attention to one of his classmates,

 

“Hey, Iida?” He began as he walked up to the blue haired teen, who had already began to walk away before Midoriya had stopped him. “I know there’s probably a lot on your mind right now but… I’m here if you need to talk, ok? We are friends, so you can count on me, right?”

 

“Yes.” Was all the teen said, barely turning to face him as he did so. “Thank you Midoriya.”

 

As he walked away, the marked teen hated how his friends emotions seemed to just get more chaotic despite his calm demeanour. With a sigh the greenette turned to get on the train himself and came face to face with Todoroki.

 

“You know he’s lying about how he feels.” It wasn’t a question, just an observation. Midoriya nodded with a sigh as the two clambered into the same compartment.

 

“Yeah, I do… but I have no idea what to do about it…”

 

* * *

 

While other people’s journey’s might have taken longer, Izuku was at the building he was looking for in just an hour. It was hardly impressive, worn and run down yet a quick check confirmed it was the right address.

 

He walked up to the door, and knocked. No answer came and Midoriya deadpanned.

 

_“One of his favourite tricks is playing dead. He’ll try to play it off as him being clumsy and falling into a plate with sauce but really he just wants to make an impression.”_

He opened the door and walked inside, frowing when he saw a old man on the floor exactly as Shimura had described. Midoriya just walked in and placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Carful mister Torino, these dry floors are really slippery.” He said as straight faced as he could and the man’s head shot up, immediately as he turned to face him with an incredulous look.

 

“You… You’re the kid Toshinori sent, right?” He asked, picking himself up and wiping off the sauce. “Did he tell you to say that?”

 

“Not… not exactly.” Midoriya said scratching his head. The old man shook his head head before looking down and noting the boy had his suitcase in his arms.

 

“That you’re costume?” He asked and Midoriya nodded. “Great… who are you again?”

 

_“His forgetfulness is genuine but he tends to play it up a lot to get a rise out of people for his own amusement.”_

“Midoriya.” He just repeated blank faced and the man frowned.

  
“Man Toshi knows how to pick em.” The man grumbled as he took the suitcase from the boy’s hand. “Let me see that a moment.”

 

“Uh… ok?”

 

“While you’re at it, why don’t you fire a One for All smash at me?” The man asked, riflfing through the suitcase as if looking for something.

 

“Wait what?! I can’t do that!”

  
“Of course you can, just aim and fire.”

 

“But… My power is insane, it’s more destructive than All Might’s, I don’t think you’re body could hold- GUH!” He couldn’t finished as he was suddenly kicked in the back of the head, before looking up to see Gran Torino suddenly clinging to the wall.

 

“Seeing as you won’t let me have a little fun, let’s get into it. Don’t mistake me for some frail old man, I still got my vigor!” The small man laughed, boucnign around faster than Midoriya could keep up with. The world slowed like it always did when Midoriya was about to be hit and for a brief moment he could see the pro coming at him. “Land one hit on me with whatever you can kid! I want to see what you can do!”

 

Despite himself, Midoriya grinned. Then he got kicked in the face again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if there is more typo's than normal. I am admittedly pretty reliant on word's correction features and this story has reached the point where there's so many pages that it just refuses to count them anymore.


	40. Breakthrough

Midoriya stumbled back as he took another kick to the face, mark lighting up while he steadied himself. He gritted his teeth as he stopped trying to track the man, he was much to fast for it bear fruit. ‘He only has so much room in here, even at the speed moves that means their has to be a pattern to how he’s attacking and it’s-‘

 

He spun around, Far Reach flying out in it’s normal form trying to whip the man, but he managed to dodge it easily. With his main attack still reeling he did the best he could to try to hit the man, throwing up his other arm. ‘Please don’t explode, egg!’

 

His hands went out and Gran Torino dodged again, before kicking the boy in the stomach and throwing him into the wall. “Nice analysis, but your body isn’t as fast as your brain. Your stiff, and there is a discord within your mind.”

 

Not accepteing being taken down so easy Midoriya immediately shot to his feet. He looked at the man then behind him, before he grinned. “One for All…”

 

“You really think announcing it is a good idea?!” The old man questioned as he crashed into the floor. “I can’t believe you’re the ninth holder of this great power!”

 

Midoriya’s grin didn’t falter and the old man’s eyes widened as he saw the move the greenette actually went for. ‘Easiest trick in the book!’

 

He shot out Far Reach in it’s weaker variant, multipl tendrils flying through the air. The man dodged without much effort but Midoriya didn’t care as they hit their actual target, slamming the fridge door behind the man open and reaching inside, pelting the man with food.

 

Forced to focus on dodgding the incoming projecticles, Gran Torino was able to actually be perceived for just a moment by the teen. Just a moment was all he needed as Dark Vision kicked in and could visiualize the man’s movements.

 

‘Left, right, left and then….NOW’

 

The tendrild fused back and managed to get around the elderly pro’s chest, throwing him down. Using the opportunity Midoriya shot forward and charged and smashes his fist into the man’s head, throwing him into the wall.

 

“H-ugh HAhHAh… Nice going kid!” Gran laughed as he picked himself up, brushing off the dust that had got on him. “A clever strategy. Forcing me focus on too many things at once, allowing you a better chance to attack. With that.. magic of yours, you’re clearly no slouch.”

 

ZOOM!

 

Midoriya’s eyes widened as the man came straight at him once more, kicking him in the stomach and causing him to buckle. The man placed a hand on top of his head. “However when it comes to One for All, you are lacking in fluidity. That’s why you could only best me once you relied upon your Far Reach. Tell me, what do you suppose the outcome would be if you did not have such a power at your disposal?”

 

“I’d…lose?” Midoriya asked, standing up and rubbing his stomach. ‘Not many options when you rule out the only other answer.’

 

“Precisely. The way you used it just now, and from the footage I’ve seen, by comparison you’te definitely adjusting to the power.” Gran Torino commented, standin up tall. “However, your belief in the idea One for All is special, and sense of admiration for All Might are nothing more than shackles holding you down.”

 

“Wait then what do I-“ Midoriya shot up as he began to ask the question, the retired pro walking away towards the door.

 

“Think about that on your own time. I’ll go buy us some grub while you clean up.” Gran Torino said, grabbing the door handle to close behind him. “I will tell you, perhaps your magic is special compared to quirks. However, then I must ask even if they are, what makes them different from One for All? Consider that, and you may find the answers you seek.”

 

With that, Midoriya was left alone in the apartment. ‘My magic… has the answer?’

 

* * *

 

It had been about twenty minutes since Gran Torino had left and Midoriya was pacing about the apartment, having put away everything that wasn’t destroyed beyond repair. He had a finger to his chin as he paced about thinking about what the man said.

 

‘All Might is a shackle? Ok, I understand the fundementals, like he said but somehow I’m stiff. I lack fluidity.’ He shook his head, taking a deep breath. “Ok start over. If my magic has the answer then what’s the simialrties between them, what’s the difference.”

 

Then, his eyes widened as it hit him. Gran Torino had told him to focus on what makes them different. He hurried forward, looking for his bag to pull out his notebook.

 

“Oh I get it! With both of them, I call upon the power!” Midoriya started talking to himself giddily, finally starting to realize what the problem was. “One for All isn’t a magic power though, it’s just a quirk like any other. Comapring it to Far Reach, my smashes are the equilavent to Far Lance, going full power! My magic might be special, but I don’t think of it like such. There was never any real fan fare about it so to me It’s just a part of me! Not to mention all the practice re-enforcing that idea! I need to think of One for All the same way, and start thinking about how else I might be able to use it!”

 

From somewhere beyond the door, for a second he could of sworn he heard a chuckle. Brushing it off he turned back to the book.  “Magic is a well to draw from, One for All is just an extenstion of my physical body!”

 

Finally, he got it!

 

* * *

 

Ok, maybe he didn’t get it. He groaned as he rubbed his head, having fallen from near the roof of the building.

 

After Gran Torion had returned and they had eaten, the man had gone straight to bed, leaving Midoriya alone barely tested and having no idea about his ephiphany and how accurate it actually was.

 

So he’d decided to try a simple exercise outside, jumping from the walls of the building using only One for All to get onto the roof. In theory, perfect.

 

In practice, he was bleeding from his nose and probably only had his magicpreventing a concussion. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move One for All fast enough through his body to get up the walls to the top.

 

At the moment, he wasn’t taking a short break as he thought about it, when he heard two people walking past. He didn’t intend to eavesdrop but it was hard with how loud one of them was crying and talking.

 

“Hey, hey, hey. Sweetie! Come on, it’ll be ok, it’ll be-“ A man was talking trying to sound comforting. A thud cut him off and suddenly a woman began to talk, sounding hysterical.

 

“HOW THE HELL CAN IT BE ‘OK?!’ MY MOTHERS DEAD BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID HOSPITAL! I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN’T PUT HER THERE!” The woman screamed, and the marked boy looked away from the voices with a frown.

 

As he did, he remembered there was only one hospital in Hosu and grimaced as memories of Iida on the sports festival flooded through.

 

After a couple of moments, he shook his head. He couldn’t stop training yet, he had to pull it off!

 

* * *

 

He DID NOT pull it off.

  
He injured himself a lot trying, and he was exhausted and it had not paid off.

 

“What happened to you?” Gran Torino asked in bewilderment as he walked down into the living room, taking in the boy’s appearance. “You look beat!”

 

“I was training on my own and went overboard. I wanted to try to reach the roof using only One for All but my movements were still to slow.” The greenette explained. “Honestly it almost reminds…. Me…. Of….. HOLY CRAP!”

 

The elderly man jumped as the boy suddenly shot up, looking at him with a completely serious gaze.

 

“I’m magic!”

 

Silence filled the room, as Gran Torino cocked his head to the side.

 

“Isn’t that the whole point of you? Of course you’re magic. Are you ok, kid?”

 

“No no, I mean I’m a tendril.”

 

“….Not getting any less weird, broccoli boy.”

 

“Ahgh! I mean…” Midoriya took a breathe, whipping out far reach and taking it in. “When I was trying to manipulate how I dealt with the power output of my tendrils, I couldn’t get it down for the longest time. My problem was I couldn’t focus it into a single spot, so I could control the individual tendrils…”

 

Then, the tentacle turned into it’s hardened and sharp form. “However when I went the opposite way, it was actually pretty easy to pour all the power into Far Lance. I think…. I think One for All is the opposite! I’m trying to go full power in a single spot all the time, a tiny fraction of my body has to bear the whole brunt! And if it’s the opposite problem of my tendrils… then the solution….’

 

Suddenly, the world almost seemed to dim as the greenette began to glow, Far Reach dissipating as green electricity sparked around him, red lines covering his body before fading. “I should be pouring in all the power across my entire body, while maintaining the amount I can handle! I think this is it! This is how I can use 3% of One for All!”

 

“Heh… nice going kid. Only took you one day as well.” Gran Torino laughed as he took him in. “Any ideas for a name? Can you move?”

 

“I got it! One for All: Full Cowling!” Midoriya said with a grin. ‘As for moving.’ “I won’t know about moving unless I try so…”

 

“So then let’s have our re-match. I’m outlawing your other powers this time!” Gran Torino said as he shot away into the sky. “If you can hit me with this power, then your truly have made your first big step to mastering One for All!”

 

“Right! Let’s do it!”

 

Once again, they started their fight with Midoriya getting kicked in the face.

 

* * *

 

Izuku lost that fight, by a milliseconds difference. The old man dodged him just in time to knock him across the room again (And trashing the place again), yet despite that Gran Torino still saw fit to deem it the first big step.

 

The next big step…

 

“I’m sorry, could you say that again?” Midoriya asked, wanting to be sure he heard that right as he began to sweat.

 

“I said we’re going to fight some villains! This is an internship after all, you shouldn’t be that surprised by this.” The elderly man chuckled as he walked towards the door. “Go put your costume on, and meet me outside. I hear you already have more experience in this regard than even other members of your class.”

 

“Y-yes sir!” Midoirya nodded, grabbing the suitcase with his suit and hurrying up the stairs to throw it on. When he opened it up, he was surprised to find that it looked different and there was a note attached.

 

‘ _Dear Izuku Midoriya_

_We hear at the support department have made some modifications to your outfit, headed by Hatsume and Powerloader. Aside from being an aesthetic upgrade, some features of your suit have been added to the suit such as-“_

His eyes widened and he did a double take. Surely he misread that.

_“Such as the wingsuit provided under your arms. We will allow you to discover these yourself.”_

He took a deep breathe and found himself between two reactions.

 

Shouting in frustration at the unwanted change and squealing like a giddy school girl at the mental image of gliding through the air. It was a very complicated and totally dignified noise that escaped him when he finally got any sound out.

 

Totally dignified and not at all embarrassing, yep! (Also were they even allowed to do that?! He thought he had to put in requests. Something to explore when he returned he supposed.)

 

“ _P.S: From Powerloader and Hatsume, the tests were finalized. We added a sheath so feel free to use your sword freely from now on.”_

As he read that, his eyes travelled back to the costume. There it was, the sword.

 

He reached out for it.

 

_MURDERERMURDERERMURDER_

_Eyes wide_

_  
Smoke Smoke_

_So much Smoke_

_“DO IT DEKU!”_

_“STOP PLEASE!”_

_A ligheter in hand, tears streamed down his face_

His eyes widned and he flinched away. He grabbed the costume and threw it on, not looking back. He got dressed quickly and turned to walk away.

 

‘ **I know you do not wish to, but bring the sword. For your own sake.** ’

 

Dammit. Nervously he turned back. He reached out again, expecting another flash, another panic attack. Instead it never came as he picked up the sword.

  
Surprised, he put it away quickly onto his belt and ran out to meet Gran Torino before he got impatient. As he ran out, he found himself througougly confused.

 

In that panic attack, the one screaming at him to ‘do it’… had been kids.

 

It felt real but…. Midoriya had never been in any situation quite like that before, he was sure.

 

Was he sure?

 

 

 

He didn’t know anymore,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, yes there is a purpose to that one addition.
> 
> But also, even if there wasn't who doesn't want to see Deku in wingsuit, like seriously


	41. Stain

The ride to the train station had been quiet, after Gran Torino had explained why they had to leave the city. They were going to another city, Shinjuku, because the denser population meant there was more crime than in the city the old man lived within.

 

After the marked teen had heard where they were going, he realized they’d be passing Hosu city, where Ingenium had been attacked. With that thought in mind, he’d pulled out his phone to check his messages, ignoring the elderly pro’s complaints about kids being glued to technology.

 

Iida still hadn’t responded to any of his messages.

 

With a sigh, he checked his only unread message since he arrived for his internship.

 

 

_Jirou_ _😊_ _:_

_Jirou: I mean I still think Athena just needs more character devolpment before she gets her own AA game. – Two days ago._

_Jirou: Yo – 4:53PM_

_You: Hey. How are you? – 5:02PM_

_Jirou: I feel like my body is going to collapse. I don’t know how you do like three times this kind of exercise without collapsing. Wbu, how’s your internship going? - 5:04PM_

_You: I put up with the exercise because I’m ‘magic.’ As for internships, I finally got my super strength under control! Like properly, so that’s good. Going to fight villains now though. 5:05PM_

_Jirou: You can’t stay away from action, can ya? Congrats. Just don’t get hurt. – 5:07PM_

_You: Yeah, like me getting away uninjured is going to happen. Not exactly my speciality. :p – 5:09PM_

_Jirou: I swear if you faint or come back with more bullet wounds I’m never letting you out of my sight again. – 5:12PM_

_You: So… more hugs for me then! – 5:14PM_

_Jirou: [Fist.emoji] dork. 5:18PM_

_You: We all know hugs are your weakness, Jirou! Don’t run from the truth._

_Jirou: Implying you know what the truth is. – 5:20PM_

_You: Of course I do. The truth is always within my grasp, I know the true wonders of the universe and all that will unfurl. Because I’m magic, and I predict that the truth is….. I’m an adorable broccoli boy you can’t help but love. – 5:23PM_

_Jirou: 1.) It’s weird how different you can be over the phone, 2.) I hate that your right. – 5:26PM_

_Jirou: Oh crap, breaks over. Talk later dude! Call? I kinda miss you guys voices… - 5:27PM_

_You: Aww, knew you were a softie at heart, yeah we’ll call. I gotta go as well, getting on the train rn. – 5:29PM_

With that, he tucked his phone away in his pocket as he and his instructor hopped aboard. As he did so, his hand ached and he looked down in surprise, noticing his hand looked a little… darker. ‘That’s… weird.’

 

“You coming kid?” Gran Torino called back and the greenette shook his head, clearing his thoughts and running to catch up. “You ok? you look a little unnerved.”

 

“Oh it’s…. it’s just sometimes my marked hand aches, and it can mean so many different things. Typically though it’s kind of like an early warning system.” The boy explained quietly as the two took their seats. Midoriya leaned back, resting his head against the wall. “I don’t know how much All Might explained but… I’m going to probably look like I’ve passed out in a moment. I promise I’ll be back before the train ride is over.”

 

Before the smaller man could say anything, Midoriya closed his eyes and his soul already felt like it was plummeting. His eyes shot back upon and the magic teen looked around the room he was in. It was the house again.

 

“H-hey kiddo.” Nana greeted across from him, a nervous and shaky smile on her face. “How a-are ya?”

 

“Shimura? What’s the matter?” He questioned, standing up. A vine suddenly shot out and smacked the woman, as Ruki hopped beside her, scowl on her face.

 

“Told ya you were too obvious!” She berated and the greenette looked between the two past holders confused. Needing a moment, he tried to lean on the couch beside him, only to suddenly fall through it and smashing into the floor. “Woah! You ok kiddo?”

 

“F-fine, just didn’t expect that. Must of missed.” Midoriya said, standing back up. He looked back to the two woman. “But… what’s with you two?”

 

“Well…. It’s just…” Ruki tried to look for the right way to it, She groaned after a moment, swing around vines in frustration. “Ah dammit! Why does being careful with words have to be so damn hard!

 

“Oh god… You see… Izuku….” Nana began, but she cut herself off, deeming whatever she was about to say not good enough.

 

“M…Midoriya?” A quiet, masculine voice asked and the three of them turned to see Kenji quietly fiddling with his coat. Of all the holders, he was perhaps the most odd simply for how much he seemed to lack confidence, clearly struggling to even talk to the marked teen. “I… we…”

 

“H-hey, hey, don’t push yourself Kenji. You don’t need to talk to me if you don’t want to.” The boy assured, sitting back down. He knew how much being forced to do something you don’t want to sucked.

  
Like-

 

 _DO IT DEKU DO IT DEKU_  
  
  DO IT MURDERER!

He shook his head, eyes going wide. The memories suddenly dissipated before they could begin, and Midoriya was relieved when a familiar flurry of crystals formed before him.

 

**“What your…. Predecessors are trying to convey is that you should be careful tonight, my dear Izuku. There is… a lot to be determined in the next few days. Remember… I gave you your sword for a reason.”**

“Wait, what do-“

 

**“There’s no more time to keep you, night falls and chaos begins now. Go, and cast your spell upon this hub of discord. Hosu City…”**

“Remember Midoriya… Your name is a promise. Good luck with your new ability.” Nana called, and suddenly the boy’s mark exploded with energy.

 

He shot up from his seat on the train, gasping for air. Gran Torino jumped, hand shooting to his heart as he looked down. “What the… you ok ki-“

 

“Passengers, please hold onto something.”

 

BOOM!

 

Suddenly smoke filled the cabin as Midoriya flinched back before looking up towards the source. Was it a magic threat? A demon? Or…

 

Before he could ponder anymore, the creature responsible pulled it’s way in and Midoriya felt his blood run cold. A nomu just crawled in…

 

People screamed as the monster began to walk in.

 

“STAY BACK KID! I GOT THIS!” Gran Torino called out as he suddenly pelted forward, kicking the monster out with enough ease that for a split second Midoriya felt slightly relieved. ‘No shock absorption, maybe not as strong then. Good.’

 

He ran up to the hole that had been left behind, seeing the old pro had pushed the monster into an empty street. However, as the boy looked up he could only frown.

 

A large portion of the city was on fire, smoke billowing in the air. ‘Nomu’s… Smoke…. That can only mean… Sorry Gran Torino but I can’t stay back!’

 

Without another thought he ran and leapt out the hole, hurtling towards the street below. Despite the chaos, Midoriya grinned as One for All began to move through his body. ‘Time to try out Full Cowling plus Far Reach! Guess Jirou really was right when she said I can’t keep away from action.’

 

He got close to the ground and threw his hand out, Far Reach grabbing onto a nearby lamppost and launching him. He then grabbed onto a wall and ran up it, jumping onto the roof. ‘Ha! That’s about as fun as I was expecting.’

 

Ahead of him, he could see the smoke coming from a street down below, just a little bit away. He knew he technically wasn’t allowed to fight here, but he couldn’t just stand back, especially as he could see multiple Nomu’s wreaking havoc ad pro’s failed to reel them in.

 

There was a massive gap from his position and the roof nearest to the scene, one Midoriya couldn’t make even with Far Reach and One for All. ‘Ok then, guess we’re trying this. Hope it’s easy to learn!’

 

He started to inspect his outfit as he ran, finding little leather like patches that folded out. He quickly clipped them into little hooks under his arms as he ran and he reached the edge. ‘Now!’

 

He leapt into the air, One for All giving him a boost to get half way there. He spread out his arms and legs and began descending to the roof. He was slowed as wind flew into the leather and helped him glide, causing him to laugh hysterically. ‘Ha! I’ll need to thank Hatsume when I get back! Wish I thought of this.’

 

He reached the roof and turned his attention back to the scene, grin dropping as he remembered why he was here. ‘Don’t see Shigaraki anywhere, odd…’

 

His dark vision kicked in, and he looked for anywhere they might be hidden but didn’t see any. One Nomu, he noticed his path would lead in front of a wrecked car. The nomu was heading for a pro so the boy shot out his Far Reach and dragged the husk into the monsters face, incapacitating it and letting the pro fight.

 

No one seemed to realize he’d done it, aside from the pro who was to busy fighting to actually notice him. The boy continued to look around, when he spotted a pro in a predominantly blue costume, who had a helmet that had almost fish like fins on top. ‘Isn’t that… Manual? Wasn’t he…’

 

“Iida?! Where are you?!” The pro called out, and the marked teens eyes widened. Without a thought he shot out Far Reach and hopped down, landing beside the man. He got his attention at least. “What the?! Kid you-“

 

“I’m from U.A! I’m a friend of Iida’s!” Midoriya explained quick, using his Domino ability to link the remaining Nomu’s together so the pro’s would have an easier time. “Where is he?”

 

“I don’t know, he disappeared on the way here. We passed so many Alley’s that-“

 

“SHIT!” Midoriya suddenly shouted out, cutting off the pro. The Hero Killer killed pro’s in alleys... ‘Iida you…. You….’ “I’m going to go find him! I used my power to link the Nomu’s! You just need to stop one! Good luck.”

 

"Wait-!" Manuals cries fell on death ears as the greenette took off.

 

‘Please…. Please… Please be ok Iida!’

 

How could he even find the teen in time? If he was trying to fight stain, then he’d probably not last long. Especially if his anger got the better of-

 

Midoriya’s eyes widened. ‘That’s it! Finally. Come on empathy, don’t fail me now I need you!’

 

He focused, as hard as he could and after a moment he felt a very brief tingle of anger. As he continued jumping off walls and using Far Reach to rush forth, it grew.

 

Finally, he was bolting through an alley way, and came across a scene he never wanted to see. A pro was pinned against the wall by a sword in his shoulder, slowly bleeding out.

 

Iida was there, face terrified as he laid on the ground and a man with bandages wrapped around his face, multiple swords in hand stood above, ready to plunge two of the blades into Iida’s heart.

 

Midoriya’s body burst with electricity, as he moved as fast as he could. His right hand instinctively reached for his belt, his left burst with the vibrant glow of magic and Far Reach shot out.

 

The tentacle pulled one of the swords a way, simultaneously creating a distraction for Midoriya to jump in front of the killer, lifting his hand from his belt, folded up sword in hand.

 

It unfolded as it came up and two blades clashed, Stain’s eyed widening in surprise before he jumped back. Far Reach turned to it’s lance form and Midoriya held out his arms, ready to fight with both if he needed to.

 

“Who are you?” The hero killer asked in a deep voice, only fitting the murderous vigilante. “Another misguided brat? Here with stupid ideals of stopping me for revenge.”

 

“No, actually I’m just here to make sure this idiot doesn’t get himself killed.” Midoriya said, gesturing towards Iida. Noticing his blue haired friend seemed to be unable to move, he turned back with a scowl. “Though, seeing as he’s stuck and there is a stain here, I guess I can play the part of cleanser for now.”

 

“Feisty, but still stupid.” The man complained, pulling out another sword. “Let’s see your swordsmanship then, I hope you have a lot of practice.”

 

Well, Far Lance technically counted, right?

 

“Midoriya... don’t!” Iida struggled to gasp out, and Midoriya sighed. The emotional torrent the class president was radiating was distracting. “This is… My fight.”

 

“If you think your winning that will you’re less mobile then a snail, then your emotions are getting you worse than I thought.” Midoriya commented as stain began to run forward. ‘Need to know his quirk. What did the news suspect?’ “Paralysis?””

 

“Yes. Blood…” Iida said, as he dropped his face into the ground. Stain leapt at the greenette, bringing down a slash. Midoriya planned to pull of some fancy dodge with Far Reach and One for All. ‘I just want to avoid getting cut then.’

 

Before he could even begin to  move though, once that thought finish stain stabbed right through him. Literally, not hitting a thing. Everyone present was surprised when the greenette’s body turned to some kind of black, shadowy mist.

 

A mist that the killer couldn’t hurt. Then his eyes filled with terror. “What the-! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!”

 

Midoriya had no idea what to think, but as his body swirled with rage, he turned to Iida to see a similar fear. He turned back to the killer and a part of him got a sick sense of pleasure from the idea of tearing the villain before him limb from limb.

 

He knew what he was.

 

He knew what to call this power.

 

Shadow Walk…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is gonna be fun. Not for stain but for me.


	42. Shadow Walk

Stain jumped back, eyes filled with delicious as the terror as the shadow-y form of Midoriyaslowly began stalking forward. Midoriya tried to laugh, but it just came out as some horrible, screeching noise incomprehensible to them all.

 

He couldn’t talk. That was annoying.

 

Stain twisted his sword in his hand and rushed forward, most lie=kely aiming to try to hit Iida behins the teen and escape. ‘Don’t think so. Those are some nice… fragile…. Legs you got!’

 

One of his arms shot out, much longer than his normal ones, grabbing the vigilante and dangling by his leg as the Greenette’s new form rised to be eye level. The villain flinched violently as their eyes met and Midoriya let out another terrifying cackle. “How cute.”

 

That was what he tried to say. It just came out as more terrifying noises, the sounds of death and despair made manifest. As the villain dangled from one leg the shadow-y monstrosity grabbed his other leg and began pulling.

 

“AHHHH! STOP YOU MONSTER!” Stain screamed out in pain as the teen kept pulling, revelling in the pain. He continued laughing, letting go for a moment to slam Stain against on the walls before continueing.

 

“M…Midoriya…..” A voice asked quietly, horrified. Looking down Midoriya met Iida’s eyes, which had practically turned to pinpricks, mouth agape. He was trembling ever so slightly despite being frozen Midoriya had a feeling it wasn’t just the stab wound that was causing. “What…..”

 

_‘Remember, your name is a promise.’_

_‘I will always do the right thing, no matter what.’_

He looked back at his victim, eyes wide. This wasn’t right… this was just torturing a man for his own amusement. It was Villainous! He was so angry, but unlike Iida he didn’t even have a good reason to be this mad.

 

He dropped the villain on his head, falling back to the floor and scurrying over to his friend and the pro beside him. His shadow-y appendages reached out hesitantly, hating how Iida seemed to flinch as they got closer.

 

While Stain was distracted from his beating, Midoriya picked up the two paralyzed victims and scurried off around one of the corners as quickly as he could, placing them down where they would hopefully be safe.

 

“What… are you…?” Iida asked simply. Midoriya didn’t respond as he hurried back to the scene of the fight. Stain tried to run away but before he could make it far, a wall of ice suddenly burst up in front of him.

 

The vigilante leaped back out the way, narrowly avoiding a follow up torrent of fire. “Midoriya…. Is that you?”

 

Todoroki stood there, holding his arm out. His face was one of confusion and shock, though he seemed to understand the situation they’d found themselbes in. Midoriya felt his body finally return to normal as the shadows swirled into a more humanoid shape, before the greenette reformed back to normal.

 

Along with the powers disappearance so to did the anger it had brought along. The marked teen shook his head as he looked up, he could deal with that another time. “Todoroki! We need to keep the hero killer at bay!”

 

“Oh no, not now you monstrosity!” Stain shouted, turning and running towards the magic boy. Midoriya’s gaze turned determined as he threw out his marked hand, dozens of tendrils flying out. Most missed but one managed to wrap around the killers arm and fling him back.

 

Todoroki ran forward as the killer flew through the air, creating an ice ramp for him to crash into before imprisoning the killer inside and hurrying to the greenette’s side.

 

“Want to explain properly now?” The Hetreochromatic teen asked, raising a brow.

 

“Iida is around the corner. Definetly let his emotions get the better of him and now I’m trying to keep the hero killer-“

 

Suddenly, the ice shattered and the two turned back to see stain climbing out the ice, single sword in hand. His face was one of anger and desperation as he rushed towards them.

 

“Shall we, Todoroki?” Midoriya asked, Far Reach coming out in his regular form. The fire and ice teen nodded, sending forward a blast of fire. Stain tried to dodge, jumping to the side only to be caught by Midoriya’s tentecale and slammed into the wall.

 

The villain rolled away, barely hopping out the way of a cascade of ice trying to imprison him. With the two students ranged attacks, and reaction times in this cramped space, the hero killer could barely keep up.

 

He tried to throw daggers at them but before they could land Far Reach exploded into it’s weaker form, grabbing them all and pulling them back into the standard form as Midoriya grabbed them. Full cowling kicked in and he used the strength to shatter them.

 

“That’s a new trick.” Todoroki observed, still following the villain with his eyes. “Not using it more?”

 

“It’s close range.” Midoriya explained as he heard a shuffling behind him, casuing him to turn. “I can’t risk- Iida!? What are you doing?!”

 

That got Todoroki’s attention and the two turned to see the class president staggering towards them, hands against the wall as he walked forward.

 

“This is… my fight… You shouldn’t be here…” The boy said with a wince of pain. Stain closed in and Midroiya reacted at the last second, using his own sword to block the attack. ‘Note to self! Get sword fighting lesson from Yaoyorouzu asap!’ “I can… do this… alone.”

 

“You could of fooled me.” Todoroki deadpanned as he threw out another wall of ice. “You’re not winning any fight like that. Get to safety Iida!”

 

“No! Neither of you can understand this…. Anger.” Iida said, immediately getting looks from the other two boys. ‘Terrible choice of people to say that to, Iida.’ “I won’t let you put your lives on the line for my fight!”

 

“It’s NO ONES FIGHT!” Midoriya ended up snapping, turning to the boy. His eyes shined as the taller teen flinched back. “No one is entitled to taking downt he hero killer! I’m sorry your brother is in hospital Iida, I am! But if you can’t look past your own self fufiliment here than you’re the exact problem that created Stain in the first place!”

 

Silence rang out after that as hurt blue eyes met angry green ones. No one knew exactly what to say following that. “Midoriya, I-“

 

“INCOMING!” Todoroki warned and they turned to see a sword flying at them. Midoriya’s eyes widened as he tried to move but he was to slow, being caught off-guard. He barely avoided getting skewered as the sword went throw his clothing and sent him back into the nearby wall, getting stuck. “Midoriya!”

 

The greenette winced as he reached up, feeling a light cut open up on his shoulder as he was forced to grind it along the blade trying to get out. He couldn’t though.

 

In front of him, iida didn’t turn to look, running after Stain who was making another get away.

 

“Help! Someone help!” The boy cried, not wanting to be stuck if the ehro killer returned, forgetting in the moment the million and one ways he could probably free himself with his powers.

 

Iida froze up as his cry, looking back. His face morphed from on of shock to shame as he hurried back, on staggering legs and both he and Todoroki pulled out the blade.

 

“Midoriya…” The boy said quietly as he helped his friend down, despite his own shaky stature. Todoroki turned away, looking out towards the pro who had also been paralyzed. “I’m… I’m sorry!.”

 

“H-huh?” Midoriya questioned, titlting his head to the side as he caught his breathe. Iida kneeled down, looking away. He was tired, in pain and ashamed.

 

“I… I was going to just leave you here right now, when I saw him try to escape.” The blue haired teen admitted, clutching his own injury. “I w-was willing to l-leave my own f-friend behind w-when they needed my help. I can’t b-believe myself! I’m just…. I’m so angry! What am I supposed to do if I can’t even act upon my feeling!? I didn’t even Acknowlegde that someone else was in danger through my own anger!”

 

Silence rang out after that, and gently Midoriya knelt down as well, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulders. “You vent. Like your doing now. It’s ok to be angry Iida, it’s ok to be mad at Stain for what he’d done. It’s ok to want revenge for what happened to Ingenium. What’s not ok, is acting on your anger.”

 

“Not that I don’t agree, Midoriya but this is exactly the kind of stunt you’d pulled, trying to fight the hero killer alone.” Todoroki pointed out, and Midoriya shook his head with a frown.

 

“There’s a difference. The reasoning. I would run in because I was trying to save someone. Still incredibly reckless I guess but hey, at least I could maybe help someone. I just…. I’ve seen what happens when someone is swallowed up in nothing but negativtity, I don’t want to lose my friend to that.” Midoriya explained, helping Iida back onto his feet. The three sighed as they looked around. “What do we do now?”

 

“Well, we could-“ Iida began to suggest something but before he coulf finish, Midoriya let out a cry of pain as his mark began to act. Before he knew what was happening his body disappeared into smoke once more, getting another look of horror from Iida and a lookg bewilderment and unease from Todoroki.

 

Then a sword flew straight through him into the wall. They all turned to see Stain had already come back, trying to score a sneak attack. Midoriya didn’t waste time, immediately rushing forward while he was safe, lifting the man into the air and looking for any weapons still on him, throwing them all to the way side.

 

His shadowy form wrapped around the man’s body, holding him in place. Todoroki quickly started creating blockages so the killer couldn’t esacpe but it let the man struggle freely against the greenette.

 

This would be a stalemate at best if it continued like this…

 

“Thank you Midoriya, for reminding me. For my brother, but nor just him alone, for everyone who has suddered by this monsters hands…” Iida stood tall, as flames shot out the back of his legs, a determined gaze in his eyes. “RECIPRO BURST!”

 

Instantly the tall teen rocketed forward, clearly the sitance in no time. His fist came down on the villains chest hard as he was held in place. The impact rocketed throughout the villains body, ripping him from Midroiya’s grasp and sending him crashing into a pillar of ice behind him.

 

The villain groaned, before passing out and Midoriya returned to normal as the three looked amongst one another.

 

“We…. Did it…” Iida said simplt. “We beat the hero killer…”

 

“SHOTO!”

 

“KID?!”

 

“IIDA?!”

 

The sound of pro’s looking for them let the three boys sigh in relief. The Nomu threat must have been dealt with while they fought. For a moment, Midoriya could smile.

 

Hopefully the worst was over. He shouldof known by the light ache in his hand that he would never be so lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think of Shadow Walk's little.... side effect?


End file.
